


The Christmas Bride

by boone_missed



Series: Holidays are better with lesbians [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Kara Danvers, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Happy Ending, based on the only hallmark christmas movie i ever watched, kara loves dogs, lena makes a bet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28123086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boone_missed/pseuds/boone_missed
Summary: Kara's sworn off dating after three failed attempts to walk down the aisle. Lena thinks she'll never settle down and get married until her friends issue her an ill advised bet.What will happen when they meet just one month before the holidays?
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: Holidays are better with lesbians [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055729
Comments: 48
Kudos: 329





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I never watch Hallmark Christmas movies. Until I did and decided the plotline would be far better featuring a lesbian couple.

Kara took a deep breath as she looked in the floor length mirror. Everything was perfect, she realized. Her dress was a vision and everything she had ever wanted- lace on top and big beautiful ballgown skirt, with just enough embellishment. Nothing too over the top, of course, but enough beading to make the dress sparkle just a little bit. An intricate lace veil was hanging down over her face, and through it Kara saw how beautiful she looked. Her hair and makeup were perfect.

Everything was perfect- her flowers were perfect, her dress was perfect, and her shoes were perfect. The little church they had chosen to get married in was quaint and perfect. Everything was perfect, and everything was exactly how Kara always imagined her wedding day to be.

Except, usually when she imagined her wedding day Kara figured her stomach would be fluttering with excitement. Not heavily laden with dread.

“Mom, how do you know when you love someone?” she asked.

Eliza, Kara’s adopted mother, froze as she was straightening Kara’s veil. She locked eyes with her daughter in the mirror, and Kara almost thought she saw a bit of her own panic reflected in them. “You know when you agree to marry them, of course! You know…like how you felt when you agreed to marry Mike.”

Eliza resumed her finishing touches with slightly more haste than she had prior.

“But…there’s a difference between loving someone and being in love with them, right?” Kara could tell her voice was sounding a bit more desperate.

“Of course there is!” Eliza was smiling widely. “You know you’re in love with Mike, Kara. He’s standing at the front of the church, waiting for you. And the two of you are going to get married! Because you’re _in love_ with each other.”

“Yeah but…” Kara started to feel hot. Way too hot, considering it was late November and she was in a strapless wedding dress. “Like, I shouldn’t be this nervous right? I should be excited.”

“Nerves and excitement can feel the exact same, Kara.” Eliza was now herding Kara to the door of the little dressing room in the back of the church. “It’s normal to feel this on your wedding day. You’re so excited, you can’t contain it!”

“Right.” Kara nodded. “I’m excited. Because Mike is there, and I said yes to Mike. Because I’m going to marry Mike.”

“Exactly! That’s the spirit!” Eliza pulled her younger daughter in for a hug. “Now I’m going to go take my seat. Kara, relax. Breathe. Smile. This is day you’ve been dreaming about!”

Eliza left, and Kara stood still for a moment, breathing deeply. She heard the music that was her cue to start walking down the aisle. For a moment, she thought her feet wouldn’t move. But then they did, carrying her forward and into the little aisle of the perfect little church. There were so many people turned towards her; all of her friends and Mike’s friends and both of their families. So many people. But that was no reason to panic, right? She was okay, she could do this.

Kara was halfway down the aisle. This was good, this was hopeful. With Winn she hadn’t even made it to the church, and with James she had run after only a couple steps down the aisle. So this was progress. Kara was halfway, and then three quarters of the way. She could see Mike standing at the altar at the front of the church in his tux, grinning from ear to ear. He looked as excited as Kara knew she could feel. And then…

Kara froze. Mike’s grin faded a bit. Kara heard the people behind her start to murmur.

And then she was running. She hiked up the bottom of her dress and sprinted off to her right where she spied a door behind the choir area. The murmurs grew to a loud ruckus, but Kara didn’t look back. She didn’t look back at her mom, or her friends, or her fiancé. Instead she just ran as fast as she could out into the mild November afternoon air.

Kara didn’t stop running even as she drew odd looks from the people she passed on the street. She knew she must have looked ridiculous, running full tilt down the sidewalk in a wedding dress and veil. But Kara didn’t care. She just needed to get as far away from her almost wedding as she possibly could.

\---

Alex found her at their shared condo two hours later. Kara was sitting in the little dining room off their kitchen, which doubled as an office on occasion. She had ripped her veil off, leaving her once meticulous updo in an absolute mess. Her tears had left tracks down her cheeks. The only thing Kara hadn’t managed was to get her wedding dress off without help. She was simply sitting at the round table, hair askew and wedding dress on, sorting frantically through dozens of papers.

“Do you know where the Harrison files are?” Kara asked before Alex could say anything. “We’re supposed to start that project on Monday and I can’t find them anywhere!”

“I have the Harrison files, Kara.” Alex spoke soothingly and she walked to the table slowly, as if approaching a wild animal. The two sisters had been running a home renovation business for three years; Alex took charge of the construction, Kara with the design. “I took over the project because you’re supposed to be leaving on your honeymoon tomorrow. Remember?”

Kara laughed shrilly, cupping a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god,” she shrieked. She laughed again, but it was an unnatural sound. “I totally forgot about the honeymoon! I guess Mike will get all the drinks from the couple’s plan!”

“Kara…” Alex sat down in a chair beside her younger sister. “Kara, are you okay?”

“Yup! Absolutely! I’m A-Okay!” Kara nodded vigorously. “I just really need to focus on something right now. Something that isn’t wedding related.”

Kara was back to hastily shuffling through the papers, taking in nothing. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she felt way to hot. Alex regarded her sister sadly. She hated seeing Kara in such a state, and unfortunately this was becoming a rather common occurrence. It had taken a lot of convincing on Alex’s part to send Eliza home rather than coming to check on Kara herself. Alex knew how much Eliza dreamt of both her daughters’ wedding days. But lately all her and Kara could do was row about it.

“Kara,” Alex tried eventually, “mom said you asked her what being in love felt like. You know you don’t have to say yes every time someone proposes to you right?”

“Mike proposed at a football game!” Kara practically yelled. She looked at Alex with wild and wet eyes. “Nevermind that I don’t even like football…there were fifty thousand people there! And they put us on the big screen! What was I supposed to do- break his heart in front of tens of thousands of strangers and humiliate him for life?”

Each of three now ex-fiancés had proposed in a manner in which Kara felt put on the spot. Winn did so at his parent’s anniversary party, and his entire extended family had been there. How was she supposed to say no in front of his entire family? James proposed at the dinner of a big company event…was she supposed to embarrass him in front of dozens of his friends and coworkers? And then Mike’s ill-conceived proposal at a football game…Kara thought maybe she should just start skipping large gatherings all together. She was clearly cursed.

At the same time though, Kara had genuinely thought she was in love with each of them. Okay, so maybe she hadn’t quite been thinking of marriage at the time with the three men, but she did love them. Or at least she thought she loved them. Kara thought she loved them until marriage was staring her dead in the face and she realized she couldn’t tie herself to any of them for life.

“I mean, you ended up breaking Mike’s heart when he thought he was like five minutes from marrying you,” Alex pointed out. “So maybe humiliating him at the football game might have been better.”

Kara’s face crumpled. “I’m a horrible person! Alex, what have I done?”

“No, no Kara don’t…I didn’t mean…” Alex gathered her now crying sister in her arms. “Kara you’re not a horrible person. You’re the only one who knows if you can spend the rest of your life with someone. If it doesn’t feel right it doesn’t feel right.”

“I guess.” Kara sniffed. “How did this even become my life?” she groaned. “Three failed attempts at getting married. I suck!”

“Now that’s totally not true! Kara there’s someone out there for you…your true soulmate is still out there! It just may take some time for mister right to come along!”

“Oh no! No way!” Kara pushed back from her sister, standing and shaking her head. “Alex I’m not going through this again. No more men proposing to me in pressure filled situations. No way. I’m totally swearing off men.”

\---

“Three aces,” Jack grinned, laying his cards down on the table. He laughed. “Sorry to spoil your night ladies,” he said as he reached for the chips in the middle of the table.

Lena quirked an eyebrow. “Not so fast, Jack.”

Jack’s grin slid off his face. “No. Lena, come on. You always win! But those are trip aces you can’t beat that. Don’t do this to me, I…”

“Full house.” Lena laid her cards down with a slightly cocky smile. Jess and Sam laughed while Jack groaned and let his head fall to the table. “Maybe next time, Jack.” He simply groaned again. Lena reached for the bottle of whiskey sitting beside her and refilled her glass. “Can I offer anyone another round?”

Jack sat up, shaking his head. “Not for me. Siobhan’s family is hosting a cottage weekend. We hit the road at five sharp, so I should probably be heading home to catch some shut eye.”

“Okay, so we know Jack’s a downer. Ladies?”

Jess declined as well. “Adam thinks I’m on grocery shopping. He would have been so upset if he knew I skived off rom-com movie night to play poker with you all.”

“He thinks you’re grocery shopping for over two hours at ten o’clock on a Friday night?” Lena questioned.

“Adam thinks I’m just indecisive,” Jess grinned. “I do mobile pick up, I’ll swing by and pick up the groceries on my way home. He never questions it.”

“I have no significant other to rush home to,” Sam said.

Lena grinned. “Finally. One of my friends still knows how to have a good night.”

“Not so fast, Luthor. Ruby loves her sitter, but I’m always there to tuck her in. Besides,” Sam chuckled, “if I’m not home soon she’ll gorge herself on way too much candy and be up all night.”

Lena slumped in her seat. “When did all my friends become so lame?”

“You mean when did we all decide to grow up and stop behaving like frat boys like you still do?” Jack grinned.

“Oh stop that! You know what I mean…we’re still in our twenties and we can’t have fun on a Friday night anymore?” Lena sighed. “This is what I get for staying behind in Metropolis for those extra years. You all grew up without me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with meeting someone and falling in love, Lena,” Jess pointed out. Lena automatically made such a disgusted face the other three burst out laughing.

“I don’t see Lena ever getting married,” Jack said. “She’s too much of a ladykiller.”

“No, I’m just too sensible,” Lena grumbled. “You’re all just jealous that I’m still free to sleep with whoever I want, whenever I want. And I can _do_ whatever I want, whenever I want.”

“Getting married isn’t some sort of curse, Lena!” Jess laughed.

“Yeah, and having kids can be blessing,” Sam said. “Just because you aren’t ready to have kids yet, don’t discount it forever.”

“Lena’s just not the settling down type,” Jess said. “I agree with Jack, I don’t ever see Lena getting married. She’s not cut out for it.”

Lena threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “I could get married if I wanted to! I just choose not to. Marriage isn’t some big, complicated thing that I don’t understand or am not capable of doing. I could totally settle down…I just don’t see the benefits of it. The single life is just too much fun, and that’s how I choose to live.”

“Okay then.” Jack leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. “Want to put your money where your mouth is, Luthor?”

Lena was never one to back down from a bet. It had gotten her into a slight bit of trouble during her college days. Alas, it seemed it wasn’t just a rebellious college girl trait. Lena was now twenty-seven and quickly becoming one of the hottest names in the tech scene. But she still couldn’t resist a good bet.

“What did you have in mind?” Lena asked.

“I bet that you can’t find someone to fall in love with you by Christmas.”

Lena scoffed. “Is that it? Ladies fall in love with me all the time,” she bragged.

“Wait Jack, Lena’s right,” Sam pointed out. “That’s way too subjective. Most of the female population of Metropolis thought they were in love with Lena Luthor before she moved to National City.”

Jack nodded. “It’s a fair point,” he acquiesced. “So how about this…I bet that you can’t get someone to accept a proposal of marriage by Christmas.”

Sam and Jess gasped before bursting out in laughter. Lena sat back in her chair, looking at Jack in thought. She didn’t much fancy stringing some poor girl along for a month. There was a difference between someone not understanding the definition of a one night stand and purposely playing with someone’s feelings for a bet. At the same time, it wasn’t like she actually had to follow through with getting married. Lena just had to charm someone enough that they ignored how crazy it would be to say yes to marrying her after only a month or so of dating.

Lena was just drunk enough that she could ignore the words of warning and exasperation her adoptive mother would surely be screaming at her if she were there. “Should be easy,” she said. “But I get to pick the girl…I can’t have you picking someone utterly impossible. Or straight. We do not mess with straight women.”

“Fair enough.”

“I will be running a background check though,” Jess chipped in. “We’re not that far from LA…can’t have your hiring some desperate for work actress just to win.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “I do possess at least an ounce of integrity, you know.” She realized how ironic that sounded considering the bet she had just agreed to. “I have a weekend in Vegas planned for New Year’s. If I win, you all have to foot my bill.”

“Ladies?” Jack looked to Jess and Sam, who both nodded in agreement. “If we win, however, you have to be the one sending us to Vegas.”

“Deal,” Lena said simply. They shook on it, and then Jack threw back his head and guffawed loudly.

“I can’t wait to go home and tell Siobhan we’ll be spending a weekend in Vegas for free! There’s no way you’re going to win this bet, Lena.”

\---

Kara timidly walked up to Mike’s garage. She really didn’t want to go inside and face him, but Alex was right…she needed to return his ring. The engagement ring had probably cost him a pretty penny, and Kara knew that money could really help him with the business he was trying to run. It wasn’t fair of her to hold onto it. Kara was just terrified about facing Mike. The last she had seen of him was his stricken face as she dashed away and left him alone at the altar. She had no idea if he actually went on the week long honeymoon or not.

Mike had always been decent to her. A little oblivious at times, but overall just a sweet guy. They had been dating for only five months when Mike popped the question. Kara had been sitting at a football game, happily ignorant to any of the goings on, when suddenly Mike was down on one knee and her bewildered face was on every jumbotron screen in the arena. She had felt like maybe she could get to the point where she could fall enough in love with Mike to make a marriage work. And Kara had kept telling herself that until the day she was supposed to walk down the aisle.

Kara steeled herself as she opened the door to Mike’s garage. She avoided the eyes of his coworkers, not feeling like talking to any of them. She found Mike inspecting a pair of tires. He saw her approach and his face split into a wide grin.

“Kara!” he said joyfully. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“Uh, hey Mike.” Kara was confused by his positive reaction. She figured Mike would hate her for what she did.

“Look, I wanted to give you some space after last week,” Mike said. He stood, wiping his hands on a grease rag. “We kinda rushed everything, didn’t we? Too many people at the proposal, too many people at the wedding, and everything just happened too quickly!” Kara was nodding along as Mike spoke. He wasn’t wrong, really. “So I’m so happy you’re here and we can try doing everything over.”

“Yeah Mike I…wait. What?”

“We’ll start over!” Mike looked like an excited puppy. “We’ll take our time planning the wedding over. It’ll give you more time to relax and prepare this time. We won’t rush into it!”

“Mike, that’s not…” Kara sighed. She reached into her purse and pulled out the diamond ring. “I just came here to return your ring.”

Mike deflated like an old balloon. His shoulders sagged. “Oh,” he said simply. Then he brightened a bit. “What don’t you hang onto it for a little while?” Kara started to protest, and Mike held up his hands soothingly. “No pressure, Kara. Just…hang onto it for a few weeks. No expectations, I promise. Just hold onto it and if you change your mind…I still love you, Kara.”

Kara left the garage feeling worse than when she had walked in. Maybe it was just a problem that she had with saying no. But Mike had looked so hopeful, she couldn’t just dash that. Alex would surely give her hell about it but…what could Kara do? Mike was like a puppy, she couldn’t stand his sad face.

“Good, you’re home!” Alex exclaimed the minute Kara walked through the front door of their condo. “Go get changed into something fancy we’re going out to…why do you look like someone just told you that restaurant with the potstickers closed?”

Kara plopped down onto their couch with a sigh. “I didn’t give the ring back. Mike asked me to hold onto it and think about things for a bit.”

“Kara! Are you serious? What the hell, you can’t keep stringing the poor guy along!”

“I know!” Kara kneaded her temples in frustration. “I just…I never know the right things to say anymore, Alex. Maybe I’ll just move to a different country and mail the ring back to Mike.”

Alex sat down beside Kara, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Well you can’t do that…mom would kill you. You have to call her, by the way. She’s not angry with you, Kara.” Alex gave her a squeeze. “You’ll figure things out Kara. In the meantime…we’re going out tonight.” She slapped Kara’s knee and stood up. “Go put on something fancy.”

“I’m not in the mood to go out,” Kara pouted.

“Too damn bad.” Alex grinned. “I got a tip that a tech convention is holding a mixer at the art gallery tonight. You know what tech conventions are like…corporate robots with too much money and no design sense. New hires who are also new to the area and needing their boring apartments reno’d. So let’s get going. Because if you’re not going to get married and move out then I need to make enough money so I can move out.”

\---

As a general rule, Lena hated conventions. It didn’t matter which company she worked for or how high up the ladder she climbed; they were always the same. Her company would choose her to present because she looked good in a dress. Her multiple Master’s degrees and record breaking sales for her designs took a backseat to a hundred men who couldn’t get laid in college being able to ogle her ass…ets.

Even the galas and mixers had been starting to lose their appeal lately. Lena refused to believe it had anything to do with the desire to settle down but instead with the lack of available options. There were never many single women at the conventions. There were plenty of men, but Lena had zero interest in men. She was one hundred percent a lesbian.

“See any candidates?” Jack strolled up to where Lena was standing. He was already far too tipsy, but she gratefully accepted the glass of wine he handed her. She downed what was left of her first drink and set the empty glass on a table beside her.

“There are never any candidates at these things,” said Lena dryly.

“You’re running out of time,” Jack pointed out. “In case you weren’t aware, today’s the first of December. You only have twenty-four more days.”

“Thank you captain obvious,” Lena said sarcastically. She sipped at her wine. The worst of it was, Jack was right. Lena was going to lose the bet strictly because she wouldn’t be able to find a woman to woo quickly enough.

Jack scanned around the upscale art gallery they were in. His eyes settled on a short blonde woman leaning far too heavily on an elated looking man. “How about…”

“Do _not_ even think about finishing that suggestion. That’s Eve.”

Jack did a double take. “Wait…that’s Eve? Like _Eve_ Eve?”

“Yes.” Lena drank more wine. “That’s _that_ Eve.”

“Okay,” Jack nodded. “So she’s not a candidate then.”

Lena was getting ready to admit defeat for the night and just head home. She had had to fend off enough entitled men that day and didn’t feel like hanging around much longer. But then she caught sight of a beautiful blonde with legs for days. Lena’s mouth went dry. The woman was a knockout. Any other night Lena would be trying to use some pickup lines and get her to spend the night. Lena studied the woman for a few moments, and an amused smile formed on her lips.

“Enjoy your night Jack. I think I’ve just found a way to enjoy mine.”

Jack followed her line of sight. “She looks innocent enough. She also looks straight, Lena.”

“How delightfully stereotypical of you. Bisexuality and pansexuality exist you know. Plus how does someone ‘look’ straight? You can’t even…”

“Alright, sorry!” Jack laughed. “I retract my earlier misogynistic statement. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Lena gave her friend a swift kiss on the cheek before making her way across the room. She ran across a server on her way and exchanged her empty glass for two full ones. The closer she got to the blonde stranger, the more excited Lena became. The lady was incredibly gorgeous. She was also clearly feeling awkward and out of place, studiously examining one of the pictures on the wall. Lena chuckled to herself.

“It’s quite the painting, isn’t it?” Lena kept her voice low and sultry. The woman started. She glanced at Lena and then quickly away, cheeks tinting red just a hint.

“Um…yeah it’s amazing! I just love how the artist uses these colours to…er…enhance the image. The whole feel of this is…legit.”

Lena took a sip from her glass, keeping her eyes on the blonde. The woman seemed nervous under Lena’s gaze. “You do realize that’s a promotional poster for an event starting next week, right?”

“Oh.” The blonde got even redder, if that were possible. “I, uh, I do like art. Just not,” she gestured around widely, “this type of art.”

“I’m just teasing you,” Lena laughed. “In all honestly, I don’t know the first thing about art. You definitely played that off quite a bit smoother than I could have.” The blonde laughed, and even though it was a nervous sound Lena still thought it was a delightful laugh. “Actually, I came over here to see if you wanted to share a drink with me and chat a bit.”

Lena held up the extra glass of wine. The other woman spluttered. “Oh, actually I was just…”

“Going to say thank you for the offer! Kara would love to have a drink with you!” A woman with short dark hair suddenly appeared, nudging the blonde in the side and giving her a pointed look. The newcomer definitely set off Lena’s gaydar, but she barely gave her a second glance. The tall blonde had all of her attention.

“Right.” The blonde- Kara, was it?- took the glass from Lena reluctantly. “Thank you.”

“It’s entirely my pleasure,” Lena returned, looking up at Kara with hooded eyes. Kara gulped down some wine a bit too fast and choked slightly. Lena giggled. She honest to god giggled. This girl was not the usual type Lena went for at all, but she was altogether enamoured.

“I’m Alex Danvers,” the darker haired woman said after a bit of silence. “This is my sister Kara.”

“Lena Luthor.” Lena shook hands with both sisters. When she shook Kara’s hand she couldn’t resist holding on for just a moment too long and revelled in the blush that appeared. “Were the two of you at the convention? I don’t recall seeing either of you and trust me, I would remember,” she finished suggestively.

“Actually,” Alex said, ignoring her sister who again choked on her wine. “We own a home renovation business. We came here tonight to try and hunt up some clientele.”

Lena was impressed. The sisters seemed to be around her age, and being a self-starter so young was an attribute she definitely admired. “Well isn’t this just a happy coincidence,” Lena said, smiling. “I just moved here from Metropolis a few months ago, and my condo is perfectly drab.”

“Oh! Um…” Kara had received another not so subtle nudge from her sister. She glared at Alex briefly. “I have a business card if you’d like. We could arrange a time to meet…I could show you some of our work.”

“I’m sure it’s exemplary,” Lena said. “I’ll definitely take that business card, but I think I’d like to get started straight away.”

“Really?” Kara looked excited. “That’s awesome! I think Alex has some time for a consult on Monday…”

“No,” Lena interrupted. “I’d rather have my consult with you.” She grasped Kara’s wrist for a moment, enjoying her reaction. Lena noticed Alex smirking at them.

“Oh right, okay that’s…we can do that,” Kara nodded. “Is there a time that works for you?”

Lena felt her own excitement bubbling up as she made arrangements with Kara. The bet was the furthest thing from being foremost in her thoughts. Kara was different from anyone she usually interacted with, Lena could tell that already. The girl was special, Lena could feel it. Lena was simply excited at the prospect of seeing Kara again and getting to spend some time with her. Kara’s reactions to her flirting were an added bonus.

“Well Kara, I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday. I’ll be waiting very impatiently.”

\---

Kara felt like a complete idiot as Lena Luthor walked away. She had bumbled her way through the entire conversation, and for what? It’s not like she had never been flirted with before. But Lena…there was something about her that threw Kara for a loop. Lena was drop dead gorgeous, that was a given. But Kara had felt off kilter since the moment Lena approached. There was something magnetic about Lena. Something felt like almost a puzzle piece dropping into place.

“Kara we got another client!” Alex enthused. “Way to go, champ!”

“Alex, I don’t know if I can keep dealing with Lena Luthor. She makes me feel…I don’t know. Something.”

“That’s called being turned on, kiddo.”

“Alex!” Kara whined. “You’re my sister! Don’t make things weird.”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t see what the big deal is. We get paid; you potentially get to flirt with a very attractive woman. It’s a win-win.”

“I’ve sworn off dating, remember?”

Alex grinned slightly evilly. “You never swore off dating or flirting. You only swore off men. And Lena Luthor is no man.”

Kara sighed. Her eyes found Lena on the other side of the gallery. The other woman caught her looking and winked, causing Kara’s heart to skip a beat. That was going to be inconvenient.

Lena Luthor was going to be very inconvenient for her, she could already tell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Impromptu lunch dates. Not so subtle flirting. Dogs. Let the fluff continue...

Lena was having a bad day. Another one of her projects had been shuffled off to someone else in the late stages. She knew what that meant, though- one of her male colleagues saw potential in Lena’s ideas and appealed to their boss, who had no qualms about taking it from Lena and letting someone else receive the recognition for it after she had already done all the heavy lifting. On top of that, someone had eaten her lunch.

“All I’m saying is that you don’t eat someone else’s food!” Lena vented over the phone to Sam. “Who are these savages I work with?”

_“You’re a female working at a male dominated company,”_ Sam deadpanned. _“And to top it off, they all know you’re smarter than them. They’re just trying to get under your skin, Lena.”_

Lena huffed. “Well they’re succeeding. I bet it was Max, he’s always stealing my stuff.”

_“Go make out with him. See what he tastes like. Then you’ll know for sure.”_

“You’re so funny I forgot to laugh.” This time it was Lena’s turn to deliver the deadpan. “But no, I’m pretty sure whoever took my lunch will regret it, I shook chili powder into the pasta sauce. Though I think it _was_ Max who stole my project.”

_“Did you also booby trap your project?”_ Lena was silent for a minute, and she heard Sam laugh on the other end of the phone. _“Oh my goodness, Lena I love you. What did you do?”_

“I just added some lines of code that will send him in circles for weeks. Also added a backdoor that I can get into whenever I want. So after Max is done for the day I may choose to go back in and undo whatever he did.”

Sam was cackling. _“He’ll think he’s losing his mind. Good for you!”_

Just then there was a knock at the door and Jess poked her head in. “Miss Luthor, your one o’clock is here.” Jess never called her Lena when they were at work, no matter how many times Lena told her she could. Jess said she didn’t want to give the guys any more reason to mess with her.

_“Ooh, Jess just texted me your future fiancé arrived! Can you leave me on speaker?”_

“I don’t think so.”

_“Oh come on, I’ll be perfectly quiet! You’ll never know I’m here at all…”_

Lena hit the end button on her phone just as Kara Danvers nervously appeared in her doorway. Kara was dressed more professionally than she had been on the weekend, with a button down blouse tucked into slacks. She was also wearing glasses, which made Lena’s stomach flutter a bit. She didn’t know if she liked this look or Kara in the tantalizingly short dress she had been wearing to the art gallery better, but Kara could definitely pull off either look. Lena was definitely a fan.

”Miss Danvers.” Lena stood behind her desk, extending her hand for Kara to shake. “I’m so glad you could make it today.”

Kara shuffled the binder she was holding into her left arm and gripped Lena’s proffered hand. Once more, Lena held on for just a moment too long. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity to go through our services with you Miss Luthor.”

Lena waved a hand dismissively. “Call me Lena, please.”

“Only if you call me Kara.”

“I think I can manage that, Kara.” Lena purposely lowered her voice a touch, and she delighted in seeing a faint pink dust Kara’s cheeks. She was beautiful. “So where do we start?”

Kara sat down opposite Lena at her desk and laid down her binder. “So this contains some of the projects Alex and I have completed to this date,” Kara began. “I was on my way to lunch and thought you might like to flip through and see our work first before we have the official consultation tomorrow.”

“Kara I already promised I’m hiring you guys,” Lena purred. “I appreciate the opportunity to see you…and your work, but I’m not going to break my word.”

“That’s really awesome, Miss…Lena.”

“Now, did I hear you say you were on your way to lunch?” Kara started to stammer something, but Lena didn’t let her protest. “What a coincidence! I haven’t eaten yet either. Shall we grab a bite to eat while I look at what Kara Danvers’ incredibly capable hands have designed?”

“Miss Luthor, really that’s not necessary.”

“Nonsense, I insist.” Lena stood and walked around her desk. She offered a hand to Kara, who then promptly scrambled to feet before Lena could offer a hand to help. Quirking an eyebrow and smiling slightly, Lena motioned to her office door. “Shall we?”

\---

Kara didn’t know how she had gotten into this mess. It had been Alex who suggested that morning that she see if Lena Luthor were free for a quick meeting to ‘secure their services’. Some quick googling had told Alex that Lena Luthor was a potentially groundbreaking client for them both in terms of finances and what she could do for their reputation. That had Kara nervous enough, but now she was sitting on a patio with the admittedly gorgeous though overly flirtatious brunette, munching on a lunch at her favourite restaurant. Kara didn’t know whether it was a blessing or a curse that Lena happened to work just a single block away from the only place in National City who sold quality potstickers in bulk quantities.

“So what brought you to National City?” Kara asked. She had been trying to drive the conversation. Lena seemed content to simply study Kara through their lunch, but her gaze made Kara squirm. It was just being uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Kara thought. She definitely wasn’t feeling the slightest bit excited with all the attention.

”I needed a change of scenery,” Lena said simply.

“Running away from a terribly clingy ex?”

“Running away, yes,” Lena said evasively. She seemed guarded in a way. “But not from an ex, no. All my exes love me.”

“You say that like there’s dozens of them,” Kara chuckled. Lena lifted one perfect eyebrow as if to challenge Kara that there may in fact be dozens. The expression did something to Kara. She swallowed hard. “So why National City?”

“I heard it was sunny all year round. I also heard there was a breathtakingly gorgeous designer who lived here and I just knew I had to meet her.”

That was flirting right? Kara wondered if Lena was doing it on purpose. If she knew that her insides twisted and fluttered in the most wonderful ways when Lena said things like that. Nobody, not even her three ex fiancés, had ever garnered such a response from Kara like that. Nobody had ever made Kara feel so…wanted. This was definitely going to be a problem.

“So for the in home consult tomorrow…”

Lena shook her head. “Tomorrow’s another day. Today I have Kara Danvers sitting across from at lunch, and I want to take advantage of that. I’d like to know more about you. I’d like to know what makes Kara Danvers tick.” Lena was leaning forward on the table, elbows folded. The shift in position and the open buttons on Lena’s blouse made Lena’s cleavage more apparent. Kara’s mouth went dry. Lena was…amazing. Kara swallowed hard, trying to move her gaze to more appropriate areas. She finally managed to tear her eyes away from Lena’s chest, and when she looked back up Lena was smirking at her.

“There’s nothing to me, really,” Kara said quickly, embarrassed at having been caught in her not so subtle leering. “Grew up in Midvale, moved down the highway to the bigger city for school. Alex and I started our business when I was in my final year.”

“I’m quite impressed at you starting your business as a college student,” Lena said, and Kara’s heart galloped a bit at the thought of Lena being impressed with her. Which was ridiculous. She barely knew Lena Luthor, what did it matter if the woman was impressed with her or not? “Is this what you always wanted to do?”

Kara shook her head. “I started going to school for journalism,” she admitted. “But I had a disastrous experience with an internship and realized it wasn’t for me.”

“Do you like what you’re doing now? Running a business with your sister?”

“Oh yeah!” Kara nodded enthusiastically. “Alex and I have worked really hard to make our business successful, and I love it. Every day is something different; some new challenge. And it feels good to take pride in our projects.”

Lena smiled, and Kara’s breath caught. “That’s amazing. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.” Lena sipped her water, and Kara wondered how she made such a simple action look incredibly delicious. “So do you have someone to go home to every night and show off your ideas and designs to?”

Kara frowned, feeling her stomach drop a bit. Mike had been calling her just to chat, and it was like he was convinced they were still dating.

“I’m sorry.” Kara looked up to see Lena looking at her sympathetically. “I can see by your reaction that it’s a difficult topic. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, it’s not a bad thing,” Kara said. “I just…I’m kind of going through a bit of a…thing.”

“I know you just met me,” Lena began, “but I don’t mind if you want to vent to me. I’m a good listener.” Lena smiled. “But there’s also no pressure. We can just change the subject. Talk about the weather.”

Kara opened her mouth to do exactly that- change the topic. Instead, words came tumbling out. She embarrassingly told Lena- a veritable stranger- everything. Kara told Lena about her three failed engagements and about how she felt like she might be cursed. She told Lena about her turmoil with Mike and how she didn’t want to break his heart but knew she couldn’t marry him. Kara confessed that she was worried that Eliza was upset with her. Each time Kara planned a wedding, Eliza had been so happy and proud of her. Eliza would always be right there, smiling and supportive for every single step. Kara felt like she had let her adoptive mother down three straight times.

Partway through her story, Lena had reached across the table and put her hand on top of Kara’s. Kara had stumbled over her words. She should have politely pulled her hand away- reached for her drink or tucked her hair behind her ear or something. Instead, Kara turned her hand so it was palm up, grasping onto Lena’s. She was sitting on a patio, holding hands with a woman who made her blush and her heart race. It felt like a date, and the part that freaked Kara out the most was that it didn’t freak her out at all. Not even a little bit.

“Kara I’m so sorry you’re going through that,” Lena said softly once Kara was finished. She squeezed Kara’s hand. “But I guarantee you’re not to blame. You have to follow your heart and listen to what it’s telling you. And I know your mom isn’t mad at you.”

“How do you know that?” Kara chuckled sadly. “You’ve never met her.”

“Well I’ve met you,” Lena said confidently. “And if Eliza helped raise you into the generous, kind, ambitious, and successful woman you are today than she must be pretty amazing herself.” Kara blushed. “And maybe it’s too forward of me to say, but you’re pretty loveable. There’s no way that your mom isn’t proud of you. No matter what.”

Kara couldn’t help but simply smile at Lena. She couldn’t look away. Kara recognized this moment, she did. She had felt the same thing, that same initial spark, with Winn, James, and Mike. There had been a moment early on with all three of them where Kara felt herself sharing a smile with them while her heart thudded and galloped in her chest. But this was different. With the boys, that moment- though recognizable- had felt like a little shock. It got Kara’s attention, but no more than that. With Lena it felt like a tidal wave suddenly washing over her. It more than got Kara’s attention. It hit Kara fast and hard, and heart wasn’t merely galloping. It was racing and rising and falling and going too fast and not fast enough at the same time.

Kara should have been panicking. She should have run away at the first sign of attraction let alone this freight train of unexpected emotion. Kara had been down this road before. Except, as she sat there with Lena and chatted the afternoon away, Kara thought that maybe she hadn’t been down this exact road before. Whatever road Lena had started them down, it was new and exciting and nothing like Kara had ever experienced before.

Kara was in trouble. But something told her she was going to enjoy this trouble.

\---

When Lena was house hunting in National City, one of her priorities was getting a place with a beautiful view. She didn’t care about the aesthetics on the inside. That could be changed or updated as needed. But Lena wouldn’t budge on the view.

She ended up finding an amazing four bedroom condo on the top floor of a high rise. The price was way too reasonable, likely because the interior was grey and industrial and had never been decorated to its potential. The price was right, and the view was unmatched. From the master suite she could see the ocean, and the sunsets were to die for. From the main living area she could wake up early and watch the sunrise, letting the light warm her as the sun soaked through the floor to ceiling windows along one wall. The inside of the condo could’ve had shag carpet and leopard print wallpaper for all Lena cared. She would’ve overlooked anything to buy that view.

At the moment, however, Lena was ignoring the view. She wasn’t paying it a second of attention as she paced around her apartment. Kara was due at her apartment any minute for the consultation and to draw up some initial design plans, and Lena was freaking out a little bit. She had been freaking out since their impromptu lunch date the day before, actually. Lena had seriously close to dialing Jack and calling off the entire bet.

It wasn’t just that Kara had had a terrible run of luck with dating- three failed engagements said it all. More than that, however, Lena had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t going to end up being just a bet for her. She had the gut feeling that Kara would be able to worm her way around Lena’s defences, her carefully cultivated eligible bachelorette image. There were only two things keeping Lena from calling off the bet; her determination that Kara would probably never say yes to a proposal in three weeks’ time anyway, and the thought of admitting defeat to Jack. She would never.

But still, Lena was beyond nervous to see Kara again. This never happened to her. Lena was always smooth, cool, nonchalant, suave…

Her phone buzzed. She looked down and saw it was someone buzzing for access to the building.

“Hello?”

_“Hi! This is Kara Danvers here for the consult.”_

“Absolutely. Come right on up…top floor apartment 2604.”

Lena pressed the button on her app to let Kara in. She tried to calm herself. It would only take Kara a couple of minutes to travel up the elevator and then she would be there, in Lena’s apartment, judging it and judging her and…

A knock sounded on her door.

Lena took a deep breath and smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her pencil skirt. Then she strode confidently to the door to her apartment and answered it.

“Kara! So good to see you again!” Kara looked amazing. Lena was beginning to think it was just how Kara Danvers existed- in a constant state of beauty. “Come on in.”

Kara followed Lena through the doorway. “Oh Lena this is amazing!” She moved right past Lena and into the center of the main living area. “This is such a blank slate! We could do anything with it.”

Kara started turning in a circle, examining everything. Lena’s apartment was open concept with the kitchen, dining area, and rather large living room all open to each other. The ceiling was essentially nonexistent, revealing ductwork and pipes that Lena actually somewhat enjoyed. She liked the industrial feel. The inner wall of the apartment was exposed brick, and aside from being a bit shabby it had character, Lena thought. But beyond that everything was drab. Lena hadn’t really put any time or effort into buying matching furniture or decorations or even updating any paint colours or lighting fixtures.

“We could do so much with this space,” Kara continued. “We’ll have to update some furniture, and possibly upgrade your kitchen a bit. Paint some walls, then accent with some pops of colour. I’ll just have to get to know you a bit better to get to know your tastes and preferences-“

“I think I’ll enjoy that part,” Lena quipped.

“Um, and then, uh,” Kara stammered, a bit flustered, “and then I’ll just have to know the budget as well.”

“Unlimited,” Lena said without hesitation. Kara raised her eyebrows. “Seriously. Kara I trust your judgement about what would look good, and I trust that you won’t overspend for the sake of overspending. So honestly, it’s yours to take to its fullest potential.”

Kara nodded, smiling. “I want to make this view the focal point.” She walked over to the wall of floor to ceiling windows. “This view is amazing. We have to do it justice.”

“You should see the master bedroom.” Kara choked on air and Lena flushed. She actually hadn’t intended on that being an innuendo. “I mean, uh, the view from the bedroom is even better,” she mumbled.

Kara laughed. “I’m sure it is. You don’t really have much in the way of pictures or knick knacks. I don’t mean this in an offensive way, but it’s a little impersonal in here right now.”

“I don’t have much in the way of that,” Lena said with a shrug. “I was adopted, and the family who took me in wasn’t really the warm, hugging, family portrait type of family. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them. But we just weren’t…like that. All touchy feely and stuff.”

“I was adopted too,” Kara said quietly. “Luckily my family is into all that stuff…I don’t think I could make it without hugging them.”

“So you’re a hugger then?” Lena questioned. When Kara nodded, Lena bit her bottom lip slightly. “Then why haven’t I gotten a hug yet?”

Kara went beet red. Lena didn’t think she’d ever get tired of rendering Kara speechless. It was utterly adorable. But she did decide to change course to give Kara a bit of a break.

“This is really the only thing I have from my childhood.” Lena picked up a framed picture from the coffee table. She was only eight in the picture, grinning widely, arms wrapped around a golden retriever. She handed it over to Kara. “That was Odie, my best friend when I was young. When I was taken in by the Luthor’s, I wasn’t allowed to have a dog anymore.” Lena swallowed, somewhat embarrassed by how emotional thinking of Odie made her. “I haven’t had a dog since, but man do I love that picture.”

“It’s adorable.” Kara was grinning as she looked at the picture. “I love dogs too,” Kara said. “I actually volunteer at the shelter here in my free time.”

“You really are amazing, aren’t you?” Lena held Kara’s gaze for a minute. Kara was the first to look away, rubbing a hand over the back of her neck.

“I’m not really, but thank you.” Kara cleared her throat. “So before I draw up any designs I think we should go look at some furniture together. That way I can get a sense of your likes and dislikes.”

“Sounds good,” Lena nodded. “It’s a date.”

\---

“Easy there, Luna, it’s just your lunch it’s not that exciting!” Kara giggled as thirty pounds of excited terrier wiggled and pranced around her feet. The dog was sniffing at the bowl Kara was carrying with profound interest, wiggling her back end and wagging her tail.

Kara loved the days when she got to help out at the local shelter. She had always been a dog person, but she loved cats too. The shelter gave her the opportunity to work with both, and it was only living with Alex that kept Kara from bringing home every single animal they ever took in. Alex was allergic to cats and most dogs, and honestly it probably saved Kara. She definitely would have ended up with probably around twenty dogs and cats in her house if not for that. Kara had little to no self-control when it came to the animals she volunteered with.

“There you go Luna.” Kara scratched the dog behind her ears, loving the way she leaned into Kara’s touch. Luna gave her hand a few extra licks in thanks before turning her attention to the fresh bowl of food. Kara carefully backed out of the cage and locked it behind her. The next dog to visit was secretly her favourite, but she’d never tell the others that.

“Kara!” Nia Nal, the director of the shelter, appeared at the end of the aisle in their outdoor kennel. “We have a new volunteer signing up with us. Would you be able to help show them the ropes?”

Kara nodded enthusiastically. She loved seeing new volunteers at the shelter- extra hands made everything easier and the animals received even more love. But Kara also was filled with pride that Nia trusted her to train volunteers.

“Awesome, you’re the best! Come on over, hun!” Nia called back over her shoulder. “She seems amazing, Kara, totally in love with dogs. Kara, this is Lena.”

Kara stared. Lena Luthor had just approached them, smiling widely. Kara hadn’t seen Lena look casual yet. When she had first met Lena the woman had been dressed for a night at the club, and the two times after that Lena had been all business clothes and high heels and a tight bun in her hair. But now Lena was rocking the casual clothes and Kara clenched her fists as her heart pounded. Gosh, she was beautiful, Kara thought.

Lena was in faded jeans and a Jurassic Park t-shirt, and her dark hair fell in beautiful waves from beneath a ball cap. Kara had never seen anyone look so good in a cap.

“Lena!” Kara finally said. “What are you doing here?”

Nia looked vaguely confused. “Do you two know each other?”

“Kara is helping me renovate and redesign my apartment,” Lena said. Her eyes were sparkling. She looked genuinely happy. “She mentioned the other day that she volunteered and well…it sounded like a great idea!”

“Well we’re excited to have the help. It’s all hands on deck around here.” Nia checked her watch. “Kara I better get back to the front desk. You’ll be okay with showing Lena around and helping her get into the swing of things?”

Kara nodded and Nia flashed her a thumbs up before heading back inside. Kara turned to look at Lena. “So is this about the dogs or is this about you getting to spend more time with me?” Kara hadn’t been completely oblivious to Lena’s incessant flirting.

“Why can’t I have the best of both worlds?” Lena laughed. “Alright, so you caught me…I honestly do want to spend as much time with you as possible. But Kara…I haven’t had a dog since I was a kid. I am totally excited for this.”

“Well that’s good,” Kara said. “’Cause I’m going to start you on cage cleaning duty.”

Kara handed Lena a bucket and a shovel, explaining to her the importance of not letting the animals out of the cage when going in or out. To her credit, Lena didn’t look disgusted by being put on poop scooping duty. Kara watched Lena out of the corner of her eye as she continued feeding the dogs, and Lena was doing well. She was careful entering the cages, did a thorough job cleaning them, and the dogs loved her. She laughed and talked to each animal in a silly little voice that did crazy things to Kara’s stomach. She snuck in lots of extra pats here and there and Kara felt her heart squeeze. Kara reminded herself that she had sworn off dating.

_You only swore off men, you chicken_. Kara tried her best to tamp down on that crazy little voice trying to get her to make a move. She was barely two weeks removed from almost marrying someone…for the third time…she couldn’t fall into another relationship that quickly.

“Hey Lena,” Kara called. When Lena glanced her way, Kara cocked her head to the side. Lena walked over to her. “I want you to meet someone super special. He’s a little hyper,” Kara continued, knowing she was completely understating things, “but he’s my favourite. Don’t tell the other dogs,” she finished in a stage whisper.

Lena giggled. “My lips are sealed.”

“Perfect.” Kara’s heart fluttered at Lena’s little laugh and playful tone. It was such an inconvenient time to be developing a crush. “Are you ready to meet Bentley?”

Bentley was an overly hyper Australian Shepherd who had stolen Kara’s heart on the day she met him with his light blue eyes and his ability to cause utter chaos in his surroundings with minimal effort on his part. She had witnessed him knocking down Nia and tripping another volunteer with his leash just in his pure excitement. Bentley was always happy go lucky, and as much as Kara wanted to adopt all the rescue animals, if she could just have Bentley she would be happy.

“Alright Bentley,” she called as she reached for the lock on the gate, “we’re coming in. Please don’t knock us over.”

Kara rushed in through the open gate and pulled Lena through with her. Bentley was already jumping up on them. He was so excited that he would jump up and paw at them both, then land and run in circles. His tongue was hanging out one side of his mouth, and the expression on his face could have easily been a smile if he were human. It wasn’t too long before Lena was kneeling down, letting Bentley slobber her with affectionate kisses.

“I see why you love him so much,” Lena said. She was scratching him behind his ears and Bentley was soaking it all up. “He’s a sweetheart! Who’s a good dog? Is it Bentley? Yeah, are you a good boy, Bentley?”

Kara couldn’t help but grin watching the scene. Lena talked to Bentley in a silly little voice and Bentley looked at her, cocking his head to one side and then the other. He couldn’t stop his back end from wiggling side to side as he soaked up Lena’s affections. It was the sweetest scene ever. Watching, Kara couldn’t help but wonder if she shouldn’t ask Lena on a date- a real date. She wondered if maybe seeing this attractive woman and her favourite pup interact wasn’t the universe’s way of telling her to go for it. Maybe there was something in the December air that was telling Kara it was the time for Christmas miracles.

“How do you ever get anything done around here?” Lena laughed. Bentley was in her lap now, trying to give her more and more kisses, wriggling around in delight. “All I want to do is pet them all day!”

Kara knew the feeling. She sighed blissfully, allowing herself to daydream just a bit about dating Lena. She almost let herself picture the two of them together, walking Bentley along the streets of National City. But that would be crazy. They had only met five days ago, and Kara was on a run of bad luck with relationships. So that would be totally, definitely, absolutely crazy.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks. Thanks for making it this far. Unless you didn't, in which case I can't really blame you. It's a dreadful chore to read my writing isn't it? That's why I never proofread, so if you noticed any mistakes that's probably why! Wooooooo thanks for reading you are all adorably awesome beings and I appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex establishes that Kara's been on a bunch of not dates with Lena. Another not date occurs. Something about a bet? And of course, dogs.

“So let me get this straight,” Alex said as she rolled the cookie dough into little rounded balls before placing them on the baking tray. “You meet at a mixer and she flirts with you. You go out for a lunch where she flirts with you and which she pays for and then you go furniture shopping together…where she flirts with you. And then she starts volunteering at the same animal shelter as you.”

Kara sighed. “Alex…”

“I’m not saying anything.” Alex’s tone and raised eyebrows tell Kara the exact opposite. “It’s just that…”

“They’re not dates.”

“Kara, it seems a little bit like they’re…”

“They’re not!” Kara says firmly. “Nothing’s a date. Nobody’s been on a date.”

Alex took the cookie tray to put it in the oven, and the look on her face was full of disbelief. “Kara, I’m just saying…”

“Shh!” Kara shushed her sister. “Mom is coming back downstairs.”

Sure enough, Eliza appeared in the kitchen within moments. Whenever she was baking cookies, Alex and Kara weren’t allowed to do more than put the cookies in the oven and take them out later. It had been the same ever since they were kids. Neither of them had really inherited any baking skills. Although Kara did pride herself on being the best cookie taste tester there ever was.

“Oh good, the first tray is in!” Eliza smiled at her daughters. “I should have started baking weeks ago, I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I guess I was just a little distracted.”

Kara felt guilty. She knew Eliza hadn’t meant anything by that comment, but with every one of her failed attempts at getting married Kara felt worse and worse for her mom. All Eliza ever said was that she wanted her daughter’s to be happy, and Kara felt like they were both blowing it. Alex was still in love with her first serious girlfriend, even though the two had decided to split up years ago when Maggie’s work took her to a different country. Alex had tried several times to move on, but Kara and Eliza both knew it wasn’t easy for her. And Kara…well, everyone knew what Kara’s struggles were with relationships. They were well documented, after all.

“So many people to deliver cookies to this year.” Eliza had an ever growing list of family, friends, and neighbours to drop off plates of cookies to every year at the holidays. “I should really try to get about a thousand made over the next few days. Which means, Kara dear, try not to eat more than about twenty from each batch, okay?”

Alex laughed as Kara looked affronted. “I don’t steal that many cookies!”

“You really do, sweetheart.”

“Alex eats just as many as I do! She just blames it on me!”

“I do not!” Alex scoffed.

“You totally do! When we were kids…”

“Girls,” Eliza said, raising her hands in a calming gesture. “Don’t make me put you both in a timeout,” she joked. “And yes, Alex I know you eat more than you claim and then blame it on Kara. But Kara dear, you really do make it easy for her to do that.”

Kara rolled her eyes as she rolled out more of the cookie dough, sticking her tongue out at Alex who was practically rolling on the island in laughter.

“So are you girls ready for the concert this weekend?”

Kara groaned. She had totally forgotten about that. Every year the Danvers’ clan went to see the orchestra put on their Christmas special. The music was amazing, and it was tradition. Every year Eliza went with her two daughters and their plus ones. The tradition had started when they were kids and had each been allowed to bring a friend. This year, Kara had been planning on going with Mike, her newly minted husband. But she didn’t have said husband, of course.

“Let me guess,” Alex said dryly, “you forgot about that and now don’t have anyone to use the extra ticket because you were supposed to bring Mike.”

Kara nodded slowly. “Oops.”

“Oh Kara, I’m sorry,” Eliza said. She gave her younger daughter a brief hug. “Why don’t you call up Nia? Or your cousin Clarke is in town, it would be nice to spend some time with family!”

“Right,” Kara sighed. How embarrassing was that, to go to a concert with a cousin as a plus one?

“Or you could invite Lena.”

Kara’s head snapped up and she glared at her sister. Alex was, surprisingly, not smirking at her. Instead she looked totally serious, like she hadn’t been making yet another dig about all the not-dates she had been on with Lena.

“Who’s Lena?” Eliza asked, confused.

“A new client,” Alex said. “Lena and Kara had become friends through the shelter and she’s recently hired us to reno her place.” Kara couldn’t believe how smoothly Alex had turned that into a feasible story.

“Er, yeah…Lena’s pretty great,” Kara added. “We’ve only gotten to know each other better recently though.”

“Tell you what,” Alex said. “I don’t really have anyone lined up to go with either. I was just planning on asking a friend last minute or something. Why don’t you see if Lena has a friend who wants to come also? That way we can avoid any…awkwardness.”

“That sounds like a lovely idea!” Eliza gushed. “You need to broaden your circle of friends, Kara, it’s been too focused around the men you date. This sounds fantastic!”

Sure, Kara thought, fantastic. She could just picture sitting beside Lena in a dark auditorium, both of them dressed up for the event. She thought of how Lena would smile when Kara asked her, just a little bit on the cocky side but still extraordinarily beautiful. She could see it now, both of them caught up in the holiday music, Kara resting her head on Lena’s shoulder because she was a sucker for Christmas and live music and…

“Yeah, sure,” Kara found herself saying without any thought. “I’ll ask Lena. Sounds like a great idea.”

\---

It was a bright and sunny day, but the sun didn’t hold a lot of warmth. Kara probably would have been chilled, except the four dogs she had on leash were keeping up such a demanding pace that Kara found herself breathing heavily. Beside her, Lena was also having a time keeping up with the dogs and keeping their leashes from getting tangled.

“No Casper, don’t do that, Luna’s on that side!” Lena tugged at the leashes in her hands like she was trying to conduct a marionette. “Jersey no don’t pee there you’ll get it on Casper!”

Kara couldn’t help but laugh as she regarded her fellow volunteer. Lena was wearing a plaid button down, and Kara was once again admiring the look of the dark haired woman in casual wear. This was the first time Lena had helped with taking the dogs out on their walk to burn some energy, and despite the exasperation in her tone Kara could tell that Lena loved every minute of it.

“Are you sure this is even going to tire them out?” Lena asked. “I swear I’m getting more of a workout than they are!”

The two of them had been walking the dogs through the park for about forty minutes by that point. Kara shrugged. “They typically need to be walked for at least an hour. They spend most of their time cooped up in cages so when they get a chance to see the wild outdoors…well, can you blame them for being super excited?”

“No I guess I can’t,” Lena laughed. They continued their walk, sharing a companionable silence. After a few minutes, Lena spoke again. “Kara I have to say…I may have sought out this role with some ulterior motives.”

“No…really?” Kara gasped sarcastically.

“Okay, yeah I’m a serial flirt, sue me. But honestly,” Lena’s tone was serious and warm, “I don’t think any decision I’ve ever made has ever made me happier. Getting to spend time with these amazing animals, and with you…thank you.”

Kara beamed. “I’m glad you’re loving it so much! But honestly Lena, we need the extra help. The dogs need the extra help and love. So really, I should be thanking you.”

The two had become stationary for a minute, ignoring the tugging at the leashes and just smiling at each other. Kara felt an inexplicable but strong urge to lean in closer to Lena, to bring their lips together softly. And then Jersey decided that was the perfect time to make his mark.

“Oh my lord,” Lena groaned. “Remind me to never adopt a Mastiff. That is terrible.”

“Here ya go,” Kara said, happily handing Lena a bag. Lena regarded Kara pleadingly. “Hey, you’re holding his leash. Therefore it’s your responsibility.”

Grumbling cutely, Lena accepted the baggie from Kara and did what needed to be done, complaining the whole time. Kara couldn’t pretend that she didn’t find the grumpiness to be adorable. She also couldn’t really deny that she enjoyed the view as Lena bent over. Her jeans fit her just right, clinging to every curve just perfectly so…

“Enjoying the view?”

Kara snapped her eyes away, feeling her face warm. “Uh…yeah totally. Look at the beach out there, the horizon…beautiful.”

“Smooth, Kara,” Lena quipped. “Now hand me that hand sanitizer you flirt. Jersey, I think we have to do something about your diet.”

Kara laughed. She loved how Lena talked to the dogs. She loved how the other woman would let her silly side come out. When she had first met Lena, and first seen her at work, she had assumed the brunette was all business all the time. But the playful manner Kara got to see more and more was really quite something. It worked for Kara, that’s all.

They were starting to circle around and begin their trek back to the shelter when Kara decided to just go for it. “Hey, Lena…what are you doing on Saturday?”

Lena looked over at Kara sideways. “I have no plans currently. Am I about to make some?” she sounded excited at the prospect.

“Well, you see, every year the National City Orchestra puts on their Christmas concert and the theatre. And every year mom, Alex and I go.”

“Not your dad?”

Kara sighed. “Dad…Jeremiah…he passed away years ago. He was deployed overseas and,” Kara closed her eyes. “Mom and Alex were so upset. I had only been with the Danvers for about five years at that point but still,” Kara swallowed hard at the difficult memories. “He was a great guy.”

“I’m sorry Kara,” Lena said. “I know how difficult it can be to lose family. I’m so sorry you all had to go through that.”

“Did you, uh, have you…” Kara trailed off, unsure how to continue.

“My adoptive mother was strict and formal, but she doted on her husband and son. When she passed…they both kind of lost it. Lionel found the bottle, and drank himself into an early grave. Lex started doing business with the wrong people and now my brother is living out his best years behind bars with no end in sight.”

“I’m sorry Lena.”

“Families are complicated,” Lena said. “But I found a different family in my friends. You clearly have a great one with your mom and sister. Families can be complicated, but they’re also what we make them.”

Kara thought that if she wasn’t holding onto several dog leashes she would be brave enough to reach over and take Lena’s hand. The thought of them walking hand in hand through the park was more appealing than it should have been.

“So back to this date you were asking me on.”

“It’s not a date!” Kara said hurriedly.

“It kinda sounded like you were about to ask me on a date.” Lena was smiling, her eyes filled with mirth.

“Well it’s not a date, because we have two extra tickets. Alex may have procrastinated on asking someone and I may have sort of been expecting to take my husband.”

“I see,” Lena said thoughtfully. “So you’re inviting me not as your plus one, but you’re inviting me with my own plus one. So if I were to bring my own date…”

Kara scowled at the thought. She tried to hide it, but one quick glance at Lena’s smirk told her she was unsuccessful. “You can bring whoever you want,” Kara said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

“Easy there, Rocky,” Lena laughed. “I’ll gladly be your plus one to the concert. And I have a friend who happens to love Christmas and probably hasn’t been to a concert in ages.”

“Just a friend?” Kara clarified in a hopefully casual tone.

Lena looked at Kara and smiled. It was just a bit too knowing. “Just a friend,” she promised.

\---

“So if this isn’t a date why are you spending so long getting ready and making yourself pretty?”

Lena frowned at Sam, who was lounging on the edge of her king sized bed watching her fuss with her hair.

“Okay first of all, I don’t have to make myself pretty. I’m a natural beauty.” Sam laughed at that. “But secondly…I have a bet to win, remember?” The words felt wrong in Lena’s mouth. They left a bitter taste. She hated thinking of the bet; it twisted her up inside.

“Oh sure, the bet.” Sam was supposedly scrolling through her phone, but she was glancing up at Lena a bit too often. “About the bet…you’re sure that’s all this is about? ‘Cause Lena, you haven’t stopped gushing about Kara for days.”

Lena’s stomach did a little flip flop at that. She hadn’t been expecting her friend to notice. Maybe Lena had been a little bit obsessed with Kara. Maybe she hadn’t been able to stop talking about her or stop thinking about her. But it was just to rub it in her friends’ faces that she was definitely going to win. She was just showing off, strutting her stuff so to speak. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Kara made her smile like no one else could. It had nothing to do with her feeling carefree and happy in Kara’s presence. It certainly had nothing to do with the urge Lena felt to pull Kara in for a kiss every single time she saw her.

No, Lena wasn’t falling for Kara. Not that anyone had asked her. Lena was simply parading her success. That’s all she was doing.

“Look Kara is…she’s a pretty awesome person to get to know.”

“Since when does Lena Luthor use words like ‘awesome’?”

_Since meeting Kara._ “Stop psychoanalyzing me,” she scolded. “Now we have to leave in five minutes. Are you ready?”

Sam looked at Lena pointedly, raising her eyebrows. “Are you?”

The evening was so nice that Lena and Sam decided to drive Lena’s convertible. She wasn’t used to being able to take it out in December. Back in Metropolis it basically lived in her garage from November to March. But here the night still held a bit of warmth, and there was no way it was going to snow. Sam tuned the radio to some pop station and every other song was an over auto-tuned Christmas jingle. Sam sang along to every single song, but Lena refused to participate.

“I swear that’s the third version of Jingle Bells we’ve heard in the past ten minutes,” Lena complained.

“Oh come on, you Grinch. Christmas music is fun.”

“More like it’s an instant best seller. It is!” Lena said more vehemently when Sam scoffed. “This is the reason why we are bombarded every year with dozens of new Christmas albums. They take a classic song and butcher it further and it’s a guaranteed million dollars.”

“You’re awfully blunt tonight. Is someone nervous?”

Lena scowled, turning to frown at her friend at a red light. But Sam may have had a point. Date or not, bet or not, Lena couldn’t fight off the multiple butterflies in her stomach as she thought about spending the evening with Kara. It made her feel both giddy and terrified at the same time, which was completely illogical. First, Kara had made it very clear that it was not a date. Secondly, even if it was a date, it was a date for which the purpose for Lena was to win a bet and propose to Kara by Christmas. So there was no reason for her to be apprehensive.

Except that when they arrived at the theatre and made their way into the lobby, Lena felt like her pounding heart was trying to jump its way into her throat. She gripped her clutch tightly in her hands, scanning the room for Kara. She had texted the blonde after parking her car, and Kara had said she’d meet them in the lobby. There were dozens of people milling about, but when Lena locked eyes with Kara she felt as if everyone else simply disappeared.

Kara was wearing a beautiful light blue dress. It hugged her perfectly, and dipped just low enough in the front that Lena was instantly distracted by the view. Finally managing to pull her eyes away, Lena looked up and realized her leering hadn’t gone unnoticed. Kara was grinning at her. Her glasses were nowhere in sight that evening, and the next thing Lena knew she was lost in those amazing eyes.

“Kara,” she breathed. Lena couldn’t tear herself away from Kara’s gaze, it was like they were in a staring contest. A subtle nudge caught Lena’s side. “Um, good evening. It’s good to see you Kara. This is my friend, Samantha Arias.”

“Please call me Sam.” The two shook hands, and Kara motioned for the pair to follow her.

“Mom and Alex are just this way at the bar. I’m so glad the two of you could make it!”

They were soon at the shiny bar in the lobby, and Lena was introduced to Eliza Danvers. She exuded an air of motherly love and comfort that Lena immediately wanted to soak up. She nodded to Alex, who seemed rather too interested in her friend. Lena looked between Sam and Alex with a raised eyebrow, noting the way the two looked at each other. It got her thinking.

“You look really nice tonight, Lena,” said Kara shyly. She made as if to push her glasses up her nose, but realized they weren’t there. Instead she tucked some hair behind her ear. Lena noticed she missed a few of the curled strands.

“Thank you Kara.” Lena couldn’t resist reaching out and brushing the remaining hair back. Her fingers stroked across Kara’s cheek, and Lena felt a jolt shoot from her fingertips all the way up her arm. “You look incredible.”

Kara smiled, biting her bottom lip. “Thank you for coming. It, uh, it means a lot. Eliza’s happy Alex and I are branching out.”

“Glad to be of service,” Lena smiled. “Speaking of your sister, is she…”

“She is. Very gay.”

“Interesting. And is she single?”

Kara nodded. “Is Sam single?” When Lena also nodded, Kara grinned. “Interesting. Very interesting indeed.”

“I’ll say,” Lena agreed. She saw Sam laugh just a little too enthusiastically at something Alex said. She looked back to Kara. “So, are you?”

“You know I’m single,” Kara chuckled.

“Not that,” Lena said, smiling and shaking her head. “Are you gay? Bi? Straight?”

Kara looked down at the floor before looking back up at Lena bashfully. “Well, I’m not straight.”

“Good to know,” Lena said simply. She wanted to say something else, but then the lobby lights dimmed and brightened again. The five women made their way to the auditorium, taking their seats. Lena found herself sitting in between Kara and Eliza. The older woman gushed once more about how lovely it was to have Lena and Sam join them for evening.

When the lights when dark and the show started, Lena found herself immediately caught up in the music. She had been raised on classical music, and had taken up the piano and clarinet. It was potentially a dorky interest, but Lena absolutely loved live orchestra music. She loved watching the conductor and the passion of the musicians. She loved seeing the entire group work together to create such masterpieces. This was the kind of Christmas music Lena loved.

“Enjoying the show?” Kara asked after a bit. She had leaned closer to whisper in Lena’s ear, and it made Lena shiver.

“It’s perfect,” she breathed in return.

Lena glanced at Kara, and even in the low lighting she could see Kara smiling at her. Lena turned back to the stage, but she was filled with warmth and a peculiar longing. She glanced down for a moment, and saw Kara’s hand resting on her lap. Feeling like a teenager on their first ever date, Lena slowly slid her left hand over. Her pinkie grazed lightly against Kara’s. Lena held her breath. And then Kara, ever so slowly, linked their pinkies together.

It should have been silly, Lena thought. There they were, in the dark of an auditorium, pinkies wrapped around one another on Kara’s thigh. It should have been laughable that the simple action made Lena’s heart swell in size. But it wasn’t silly. It was everything to Lena.

\---

“I’m calling the bet off.”

Lena was at the mall with Jack, who had of course left his Christmas shopping too late and panicked, enlisting her help. The mall was crowded and bustling, and at first was she said didn’t register with Jack. Then he looked at her in shock.

“What?”

“The bet,” Lena said. “That stupid bet I made when I was drinking. I’m calling it off. I no longer want to participate.”

Jack looked confused. “Lena, you can’t just call off a bet. Why would you want to anyway? Based on what Sam said about last night you have that girl wrapped around your finger. She’s bound to say yes.”

Lena frowned. “I don’t want Kara to say yes to something that’s fake,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to propose because of some stupid bet.”

“Wait a minute,” Jack said, his eyes narrowing. “You’re actually falling for her, aren’t you?”

Lena threw up her arms, almost smacking some poor harried looking mom with her packages and bags. “Can we not just be adults and admit that it was a stupid bet to make? To play with someone’s feelings like that…Jack I’m not doing it. I refuse to partake any further.”

The two of them were making their way to the food court. Jack had claimed, after only the third store they had visited, that he needed something to eat before continuing on their crazy adventure. Now Jack simply looked at a loss for words.

“You have a point, Lena,” he said. “But still…we all agreed on the terms. You have to get a girl- Kara Danvers now- to accept your proposal of marriage by Christmas. If you don’t, you have to send the rest of us on a trip to Vegas. Maybe it was ill conceived, but you agreed Lena. We all shook on it.”

“Fine,” Lena half yelled. “Fine. I’ll send you all on the vacation. Happy? I lose the bet. I give up. You, Sam, and Jess get your vacation. Does that work?”

Jack shrugged. “Seems fair. This Kara girl is really doing a number on you, isn’t she? I’ve never seen you so…distracted, I guess.”

Distracted seemed like an accurate word. Lena couldn’t go for a full minute without thinking about Kara. She had been up all night, unable to sleep. Lena was lost in thoughts of the blonde woman. She couldn’t stop seeing Kara’s smile which could light up the entire city, or those eyes which never failed to draw Lena in. She could hear Kara’s laugh ringing her ears, and could picture the way Kara lit up around the dogs she volunteered with and how much she loved them. Lena couldn’t stop thinking about Kara, and she couldn’t wipe the smile on her face when she did so.

But then Lena remembered the bet, that stupid bet, and next thing she knew Lena couldn’t fall asleep for an entirely different reason. She felt like a terrible person. There were no two ways about it. Lena’s potentially budding feelings aside, she couldn’t put Kara through something like that. Lena would have to be a horrible person to string anyone along like that. But especially someone as amazing and innocent as Kara Danvers. Lena would never forgive herself if she went through with the bet.

Lena’s mind was made up at about four in the morning. So when Jack called several hours later, begging her to help him shop for gifts, Lena knew what she had to do. She was calling off the bet.

“Kara is special,” Lena said simply. “I don’t know what any of this means. We’re not dating. Hell, she may not even like me like that. But I don’t care. Getting to know Kara is the most amazing thing in the world, and I won’t let that stupid bet taint any of it.”

“Well then I wish you the best of luck Lena.” Jack’s face split into a wide grin. “I can’t wait to spend New Year’s in Vegas, all expenses paid. I thought for sure we were goners. Kara definitely would’ve said yes. I’m glad you’re a decent person, Lena.”

Lena socked her friend in the arm as they arrived at the food court. She hadn’t noticed the man following them there the whole way, looking far too interested in their conversation. She hadn’t seen the way he perked up at the mention of Kara’s name, or how he looked more and more like a kid on Christmas morning as he overheard more information about the former bet. Lena didn’t see Mike, but Mike definitely saw Lena.

\---

Kara was laughing as she prepared the food dishes alongside Lena. Lena was telling her a story from her childhood involving Odie. Kara could tell she was embellishing some of the points, but she really didn’t care. Lena was smiling and laughing, and it made Kara smile and laugh too. She was quickly beginning to love every single second of time she spent with the other woman. Kara never wanted it to end.

They were almost finished their work when Kara looked up to see Nia walking toward them with a familiar pup in tow. A dad and two excited young kids were following her. Kara froze.

“Guess who’s found his forever home!” Nia gushed.

Kara’s heart dropped. She should have been happy. No one deserved to be adopted more than Bentley, and he was going to a home with kids to run around with and play with him all the time. Bentley was going to be the happiest dog in the world, and it did make Kara happy, truly it did. But at the same time she felt as if her own dream was being burst right in front of her eyes. She loved Bentley. She wanted him to be happy. But she kind of always thought that she’d be the one adopting him.

“Wow!” Kara gushed, forcing a huge grin onto her face. “That’s amazing! You guys are going to love Bentley,” she told the kids.

Nia was helping the man fill out some paperwork while the kids played with Bentley. He looked like he was having the time of his life. It made Kara happy, it did; it really did. But still.

“Do you two want to say goodbye to our happy little man here?”

Kara didn’t need to be asked twice. She was on the floor in an instant, hugging Bentley around the neck and scratching behind his ears and admiring his adorable eyes one last time. She drank in his licks and the way he extended his paw to be held. She took in every patch of brown and black splashed across his white fur and the way his floppy ears tickled her.

“Bye buddy,” she whispered into his soft fur. “You be good, okay? You’re going to love it Bentley. Living with a real family is the best.”

And then Bentley was on his way out, practically dragging the little boy holding his leash behind him in his excitement to get outside. Kara didn’t realize she was crying at first. It was a strange mix of being elated and being devastated. Kara didn’t really know how to react.

A hand stole into her own. Smooth skin pressed against her palm, and fingers linked through hers. Lena squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“It’s going to be okay, Kara,” she said quietly. “Bentley’s going to be so loved. It’s the best thing for him.”

Kara nodded, wiping away some of tears with her free hand. “I know. He’s so lucky to be adopted. And by a family with kids too!” Kara sniffed. “I just…I always kinda thought…may I would get to adopt him and…”

But Kara broke off, sobbing both happy and sad tears. The next thing she knew Kara was being gathered up in a tight hug. She fell into Lena’s embrace, gripping the back of Lena’s sweater tightly, almost desperately. She buried her face into Lena’s neck, trying to hide her tears from anyone else at the shelter. It was embarrassing. But Lena didn’t seem to mind. She simply held Kara, rubbing her hands up and down her back soothingly.

“Bentley’s going to be happy Kara,” she whispered. “He’s going to a good home. You’ll be okay. I promise you, you’ll be okay.”

And Kara nodded into Lena’s neck, believing her every word. She felt safe in Lena’s arms, and she knew the other woman would never lie to her. Bentley was going to be okay. Kara was going to be okay.

And she maybe, potentially, was falling for Lena Luthor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three down, two to go. My math skills tell me we're 60% of the way there. We're also like 97% of the way through 2020 so yay for us!  
> Thanks for reading, friends. Stay tuned for the obviously happy ending of this story no later than Christmas Eve!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is awesome as trivia. Kara kind of sucks at charades. More dogs. And a kiss???

Lena’s secretary looked up a Kara just a bit too knowingly when she shows up with a plate of Christmas cookies and a bright grin. She had simply asked if Lena was free for a minute, but the secretary- Jess, if Kara remembered correctly- regarded her silently for a moment before breaking into a huge smile. Kara briefly wondered what that was about, but then she was being ushered into Lena’s office and everything else aside from the dark haired woman in front of her was quickly forgotten.

“Kara!” Lena smiled. “It’s so good to see you!” Suddenly her brow furrowed. “I didn’t forget we had an appointment today, did I?”

Kara shook her head. “Not at all! I just wanted to drop these off.” She handed off the plate of cookies. “Freshly made by Eliza.”

“Your mother is going to wreak havoc with my diet,” Lena joked.

“I also wanted to invite you to our Danvers’ family game night this Friday,” Kara said. She bit her lip nervously, unsure if Lena would think it was silly or not. “We try to get together every couple of weeks and play a bunch of board games and stuff. There’s no pressure if you don’t want to come, I know it’s only a couple days away and I understand if you don’t want to or if you have plans or…”

“Kara, breathe.” Lena pressed a hand to Kara’s arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It turns out I don’t have plans. And I would absolutely love to come to games night. Thank you for the invite.”

Lena sounded genuinely pleased to be asked, and Kara felt relieved. Her smile grew. “Game nights can get pretty intense in our house,” Kara warned.

“Well then, I’ll be sure to bring my A game.” Lena placed the plate of cookies down on her desk and closed her laptop. “Now it’s a bit early for lunch, but could I interest you in accompanying me on my mid-morning coffee break?”

Kara accepted readily. She waved to an intrigued looking Jess on their way out of the office. And when they’re outside under a slightly gloomy sky and Lena slips her arm through Kara’s, it feels perfectly normal. They chat on their short jaunt to the coffee shop, and there’s a brief argument over who should pay. And everything feels normal and perfect, and this time Kara doesn’t completely ignore the little voice in the back of her head that’s whispering that it’s a date.

\---

Lena walked up to Eliza’s front door fighting some nerves. All she had been told was to bring a bottle of wine and wear an ugly Christmas sweater…to which Lena had immediately appealed to Jack for help. She had no idea what constituted an ugly Christmas sweater or why anyone would want to own something which by definition was ugly. After laughing over the phone for a full minute, he finally agreed to help her out. She felt ridiculous wearing a sweater that was several sizes too big with a poorly drawn cartoon dog and ‘Bah Humpug’ written on the front. Lena only felt slightly less ridiculous when Kara opened the door.

“Feliz Navidog,” Lena snorted. “Very punny. It’s almost as if we coordinated our couples outfits.” Kara crinkled her brow in confusion. “We’re both wearing dog themed Christmas sweaters.”

Kara did a double take down at her sweater and then at Lena’s before laughing heartily. “I love it! We should totally make sure we get a picture for the shelter’s Instagram. Nia would be so happy!” Kara stepped back and motioned for Lena to come through the doorway. “Come on then, twin!”

It takes Lena all of about ten seconds to realize that she and Kara are the only ones wearing Christmas sweaters, and she scowls at the blonde. Kara innocently looks back at her with wide eyes.

“I’m going to get you back for this,” Lena hisses under her breath as they make their way into Eliza’s living room.

Kara shrugs. “You have no proof I planned this. Besides, you look cute.”

Immediately Lena felt better about the situation, and she mentally rolled her eyes at herself. One girl calls her cute and she completely falls apart. She’s so distracted by Kara calling her cute that it takes a minute for Lena to realize there are other people present.

“Lena, this is my cousin Clark,“ a tall, handsome, slightly bookish looking man shakes hand congenially, “and our friends Lucy and J’onn.” Lena shakes hands with them as well, face burning at the fact they’re meeting her while she’s wearing old leggings and her best friend’s cheesiest sweater. To their credit, her new acquaintances don’t seem to mind.

“Kara tried to turn this into an ugly sweater party,” Lucy said. “Luckily for us we know Kara’s scheming all too well.”

“I’ll be wiser to it next time,” Lena promised.

“Don’t be jealous of how awesome we look together,” Kara said. She patted the spot beside her on the couch, and Lena sat down. “And don’t be jealous when we totally kick everyone else’s butts tonight.”

“Kara, sweetie, don’t antagonize.” Eliza brought over a platter full of a variety of snacks and set them on the coffee table. “We all remember Alex nearly flipped a table last time. My furniture really can’t take another repeat episode.”

“You were all cheating,” Alex mumbled, sipping at the drink in her hand.

As friendly chatter took over, Lena felt herself settle in nicely. The atmosphere in the house was warm and cheerful. Eliza had decorated to the nines for Christmas. There were tinsel and red and green accents everywhere. An impeccably decorated tree sat in one corner of the living room, and there was a fire blazing in the fireplace. Red stockings were already hanging in wait on the mantle, and Lena thought the overall effect felt nice and homey.

Growing up, the Luthor house never looked like something out of a Christmas magazine. For all their money, Lionel and Lillian never bothered to spend any of it on decorations. She and Lex received more than enough presents, but there was never a tree to put them under. When Lena started out on her own, buying Christmas decorations had never been a thought to cross her mind. She often spent Christmas at Jack’s place, or with Sam and Ruby. So she had never really seen the point of decorating for herself. But she had to admit that she quite liked the effect. It made her even a little bit giddy.

“Should we get started?” Kara asked after Eliza finished setting everything up. Alex handed Lena a glass of wine. “Everyone’s here now, right?”

“Well actually…” Eliza looked somewhat guilty. “There is one more coming. I had already invited him before you invited Lena, dear. I didn’t realize you would be here with a date, and he’s been almost a part of our family for a while now…”

“Mom, no,” Kara breathed. Lena was rather confused, but Kara was looking more horrified by the second. “You didn’t invite…”

The doorbell rang before Kara could finish, and Eliza ran off to answer the door. Lena remained in the dark as to the cause of Kara’s sudden agitation. She placed her hand on Kara’s jean clad thigh, rubbing it up and down soothingly. Kara relaxed for a moment, but then Eliza walked back into the room with another person and Kara tensed right back up.

“Mike,” she said in a tiny voice.

Oh. So this was the ex-fiancé. Lena looked up at the man standing just a few feet away, grinning widely at the woman sitting next to her. He was conventionally good looking, she supposed, in a bland, boring sort of way. His smile didn’t fade until his eyes landed on Lena’s hand, still on Kara’s thigh. Then his eyes narrowed slightly, and he locked gazes with Lena. She raised a single eyebrow, challenging him to say something. It looked like games night was going to get much more interesting.

\---

“You’re a chicken! No, not a chicken…a unicorn!”

Any tension that may have been building quickly dissipated once everything got going. Lucy came over to sit on the other side of Kara on the couch, leaving Mike to sit across the room. Aside from throwing glares in Lena’s direction every few minutes, she was largely able to ignore him as they started playing board games.

Lena cleaned up at Trivial Pursuit. It wasn’t long before the actual gameplay devolved into everyone just trying to find a question that would stump Lena. She wasn’t trying to be smug or anything, but it did take them quite a while.

“Kara, your new friend is a spooky genius,” Lucy commented. Kara grinned and pulled Lena into a side hug. The more wine Kara drank, the more handsy she became. Lena really didn’t mind.

“I’m not a genius,” Lena said, enjoying the feeling of being pulled into Kara’s side, “I just happen to have a knack for trivia.”

“You should audition for Jeopardy,” Alex said. It was hard to tell whether she was joking or not.

“I’ve actually been on the show.” Seven pairs of eyes immediately trained themselves on Lena, trying to figure out if she were joking or not. “I was a six day champion. The final Jeopardy question that finally stumped me was regarding sports. That’s my weakness.”

From Trivial Pursuit they moved onto Disney themed Clue, which Alex was incredibly good at. Lena thought she maybe should have gone into police work rather than home improvements. Loaded Questions provided more than a few good laughs. Lena couldn’t remember the last time she had had so much fun. They were all killing themselves laughing, and Lena fit in seamlessly with everyone else. Uno was ended prematurely by Eliza when Lucy hit Alex with a stacked pick up sixteen and Alex looked ready to through a fit. When they switched to Code Names, it was Kara who started to clean up. She did especially well with the superhero themed game pack.

One game which Kara was not good at, as it transpired, was charades. She had immediately claimed Lena as her partner, which Lena did not mind in the slightest. However, after only a few rounds Lena realized there was not a hope or prayer of them ever getting a single point, let alone winning the game.

“Ah shoot, I’m almost there!” Kara exclaimed, watching as Lena mimed as best she could. “It’s a…you’re a…lion! You’re a lion, right? That’s your mane…why are you looking at me like that? It’s not a lion?”

“Fifteen seconds!” Alex said gleefully, doubled over in laughter at Lena’s exasperation and Kara’s increasingly wild and frantic guesses.

“Not a lion. Oh! A sea lion! No?” Kara looked pained. “Maybe not an animal…but your hands look like hair…Albert Einstein!”

Alex called time while rolling around in her chair in laughter. Everyone else was having a good chuckle too…except for Lena.

“Kara honestly it’s Christmas themed! Remember…it was your idea to make all the things and objects about the holidays!”

“Lions can be Christmas-y,” Kara pouted. “I just think you’re not very good at miming. What was your word anyway?” she challenged.

“Reindeer,” Lena deadpanned, and Alex lost it again. Kara’s cheeks went a lovely shade of pink, and Lena thought she might have pulled her into a kiss had her family and friends not been in the same room. Instead she sat back down on the couch beside her crush, sitting perhaps just a touch too close. If anyone asked, she could chalk it up to the wine.

J’onn was the first to take off at around half past ten. Clark stayed slightly longer, but eventually he made his way out as well, giving everyone a friendly hug. Mike was back to his glaring, but Lena was on her fifth glass of wine, and Kara had spread out on the couch and put her head in Lena’s lap. Lena felt just a touch smug as she played with Kara’s hair, and Mike’s glares were easy to ignore.

“Why don’t we make things a little bit more interesting?” Mike’s voice was grating to Lena’s ears. “Go any poker chips around here, Mrs Danvers?”

Lena knew her poker skills were second to none, and if Mike had thought challenging her to a game of poker would take her down a few pegs then he was sorely mistaken. Kara was the first out of the game, and Lena found she wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the girl had no poker face whatsoever. Alex was surprisingly the next to go, having been caught on a bad bluff by Lucy. Eliza was surprisingly the last challenger that remained to try and take out Lena, but even she was no match.

“Jeopardy and the World Poker Tour,” Alex yawned. “So many life skills and you’re here hanging out with us weirdoes.”

“Don’t tell my other friends, but I much prefer spending my time with you weirdoes.”

It was nearing midnight when Lucy stood up to go. Alex and Kara walked her outside, while Eliza excused herself to go to the washroom. It took Lena a second to realize she was alone in the living room with Mike. After losing to her at poker and with everyone else out of the room, any civility that had carried Mike through the evening was gone.

“I know what you’re doing,” Mike sneered. Lena simply took a sip of her wine, ignoring him. “I should tell her, you know. She’d be devastated.”

“I’m not going to pretend for a second I know what you’re talking about.” Lena kept her tone easy, almost bored. “But I think I should point out a couple of things for your sake. First, I’m not doing anything. Kara and I are friends. That’s it. Second, whatever it is you’re talking about…if you truly do care about her and still want to marry her…then why would you be happy about something that you say would devastate her?”

Mike gaped at her stupidly, and he couldn’t think of a comeback by the time everyone else returned. Lena finished her wine and stood, smoothing out the bottom of her sweater.

“I should head off as well,” Lena said. She thought she caught a flash of disappointment on Kara’s face. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

Both Eliza and Alex hugged her, and Lena kind of loved it. It had been a long time since she had gotten a hug from a parent or a sibling. She blamed the copious amounts of wine for her eyes getting a slight bit teary. Kara came outside with Lena while she waited for her Uber.

“You could stay,” Kara said quietly. “Eliza only has the two extra rooms, but I could sleep on the couch.”

“For a moment I thought you were going to say we could share.” Lena was joking, but Kara’s eyes glazed over somewhat. They were both tipsy, and if Kara was going to look at her like she was then Lena didn’t know how much self-control she’d be able to muster.

“I mean…we could do that. We could also, uh…well I still need to come up with a plan for your master bedroom. Maybe you should, um, like we could go there. Now. Together.”

Lena smiled softly. Kara was adorable. “You temptress,” she whispered. Headlights pulled up, and Lena glanced at the car waiting for her. She looked back to Kara. “Ask me again when we’re both sober. I won’t say no then.” Feeling brave, Lena leaned in and pressed her lips to Kara’s cheek. Maybe she lingered a touch too long, and maybe she placed her lips just a touch too close to Kara’s mouth. “Goodnight, Kara.”

As Lena got into the Kara she looked back over her shoulder. Kara stood there with a smile, hand to her face touching where Lena’s lips had just been. For a moment, Lena considered going back to her and kissing her again, this time properly. But instead she just waved, closing the door behind her. Lena knew she was going to dream of Kara Danvers, and she was perfectly alright with that.

\---

Kara knew she was moping and being a little dramatic, but the shelter felt a bit different without Bentley’s manic energy. She was used to his soft little barks and yips to get her to pay attention to him, and to the way he would turn in tight circles over and over again whenever he was excited. Bentley had always been a bit of a troublemaker, but he always warmed Kara’s heart and brought a smile to her face. His cage hadn’t been filled by another dog yet, and when Kara gazed upon the empty area she hoped Bentley was having the best time in the world with his new family.

Kara and Lena had just gotten back from another walk with some animals, and it was beginning to feel routine to Kara. She almost expected it now, in a way. Every now and then a stray thought entered her mind concerning her and Lena going on daily walks with their own dog one day. Those thoughts were always accompanied by a strange, fluttering feeling in her gut, and Kara knew she had to get a hold of herself. But still the butterflies didn’t go away that easily.

“Hey Kara!” Nia called. Kara shook her head, clearing her thoughts. “Would you mind making a run to the dollar store to get some Christmas gifts for the animals?” Nia always bought little packs of treats, bones, or toys for all the animals in the shelter for the holidays, and Kara thought it was absolutely adorable.

“Sure thing! Do I have a maximum this year?” Kara may have, somewhat, gone only slightly above and beyond the previous year.

Nia grinned. “Just try not to bankrupt me, okay? But seriously, I trust you to do a good job. You’re the only one who doesn’t think I’m crazy for buying dogs and cats Christmas presents.”

“I would never!” Kara gasped, placing a hand over her heart. “Do you want me to take Lena with me?”

“I’ve got her running some numbers for me. She’s some kind of whiz kid with computers and financials, and I think she’s already found about ten ways to increase our efficiency and cut costs without cutting our services. It’s a Christmas miracle I think!”

Kara tried to not be disappointed that she was running an errand without Lena. Which was totally ridiculous, because three weeks ago she didn’t even know the other woman. Lena had quickly and effortlessly ingrained herself into Kara’s life. The thought made a silly little smile appear on Kara’s lips.

It took Kara probably a little bit too long to pick out gifts for all the animals in the shelter. She always picked up some extras, because one never knew when there would be turnover. But Kara also couldn’t resist picking up some more personally tailored items for some of her favourite animals. She looked over all of her options more than once. When she finally had everything she needed, Kara knew she had probably slightly overspent again. She also knew that Nia wouldn’t care, and that the animals would be overjoyed with their little gifts. Tails would be wagging and meows would be ringing out, and Kara walked back to the shelter with a bounce in her steps, preoccupied with joyous thoughts of her favourite pets receiving some extra love for the holidays.

Kara was so caught up in her holiday daydreams that it took her several moments to register what was taking place in the lobby when she arrived back at the shelter.

A man was standing near the front desk, and he looked slightly familiar. He was holding a leash and arguing with Nia. Kara almost fell over when she saw the dog at the end of the leash. _Bentley_. Kara was still putting pieces together when Lena emerged from the office, coming around the desk. She had an air of someone readying herself for a fight.

“Excuse me sir,” she said, professional yet steely. “What exactly are you trying to do here?”

“This dog is a menace!” the man vented. “He’s totally un-trainable! It’s been like three days and do you know how many pairs of shoes he’s destroyed? And pillows?”

“Have you been exercising him regularly? Bentley needs regular exercise to…”

“He needs more than exercise!” The man was getting angrier by the second. Kara looked to Lena. She was staying calm, but there was a fire growing in her eyes. “I can’t handle it. This dog has to go. I can’t take care of him anymore.”

“Sir, you made a commitment when you adopted Bentley. You made a commitment and a promise. A dog needs to be loved and trained and you can’t just turn your back without putting any effort it.”

“Don’t you dare stand there and judge me, you…”

“I will judge you all I want.” Lena crossed her arms over her chest, eyes blazing. “You adopted Bentley, and you committed to giving him a loving home and raising him. And now you’re walking out on that. What a fine example you’re setting for your kids. You don’t just adopt a dog, and take him home, and then decide to abandon that. This poor dog deserves love and devotion, and you should be setting a much better example for your kids.”

The angry man seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “You know what? I don’t care anymore. Here,” he nearly shouted, thrusting the leash towards Lena. “You take him and raise him then. I don’t care what you think of me, he’s too much work.”

“Oh what a fine gentleman you are,” Lena said sarcastically as the man turned to leave. “What a fine example you’re setting. Too much work.” Lena bent down to pet and comfort Bentley, still muttering to herself. “What an ass, isn’t he Ben? Turns his back on a commitment, takes you home and then gives up without putting in any effort…I hope the shoes you chewed were expensive, buddy.” Kara watched her kiss Bentley’s head. “But don’t you worry. There’s a family out there for you Bentley. They’re going to love you and care for you just as much as you deserve.”

Kara couldn’t stand by and watch anymore. She walked up to Lena. Her heart was pounding and she felt…consumed by something powerful. She felt overwhelmed yet perfectly content. For the first time, Kara felt sure.

“Oh, Kara!” Lena stood back up as Kara approached. “Can you believe that guy? Who the hell does he think he is to…oh!”

Kara kissed Lena. She grasped Lena’s neck and pulled her in, connecting their lips. For a brief moment Lena was stiff and frozen. Then Kara felt her respond and suddenly Lena was kissing her back, and it was everything Kara had ever thought a kiss should be. It was everything she had never felt with the men she had almost married. It was passionate, and it was full of love.

Lena’s lips were soft against Kara’s. When Kara felt the first teasing brush of Lena’s tongue she didn’t hesitate to grant her entrance. The kiss made Kara’s toes curl and it made her entire body flush in the best possible way. Lena’s hands were on Kara’s hips, gripping tight and pulling her in closer. Kara wanted more. She never wanted to stop kissing Lena. She almost didn’t realize she was pressing into Lena, walking her backwards, until Lena’s back hit a wall. Kara’s leg ended up between Lena’s, and the delicious moan Lena let out sent a rush of heat straight to Kara’s core. She wanted to hear it again. This time it was intentional when Kara applied a bit of pressure with her thigh, and Lena gasped.

A playful bark echoed out, and Kara and Lena both started. They broke the kiss, and Kara pulled back slightly. She was breathing heavily.

“I, uh…” Kara couldn’t seem to put two words together. “Was that, um, okay?”

Lena looked breathless, flushed. She looked radiantly happy. “It was more than okay. You can kiss me whenever you want.”

Kara grinned. “How about right now?”

Instead of answering, Lena simply leaned forward and kissed Kara again. Her mind felt like it short circuited a bit. If Kara never kissed anyone else ever again in her life, she knew she’d be perfectly okay with that.

Bentley barked again, and the two broke apart laughing.

“I think maybe I should attend to his majesty,” Lena joked. Her eyes were bright and dancing with joy.

“Yeah. Good call,” Kara breathed. She watched Lena lead Bentley to the outdoor kennels, slightly in disbelief over what had just transpired.

Kara made it through the next hour in a daze. She was hardly aware of what she doing. Eventually she found herself back home, standing in front of her condo. The last little bit was a complete blur, and Kara was still in shock as she opened the front door. Kara walked to the living and collapsed onto the couch. Her eyes were wide and she stared straight ahead. She barely noticed Alex sit down beside her, regarding her quizzically.

“Kara…everything good? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“It happened,” Kara said simply.

Alex waited for her to elaborate, but nothing else was said. “What happened?” she asked.

“I felt what people say you should feel when you know.”

“Um, okay…know what?” Alex was confused.

“When you _know,_ you know?” Kara shook her head slightly. She looked up at her sister. “I’m going to ask Lena to marry me.”

Alex gaped. “What?”

“Yeah,” Kara nodded, a smile starting to light up her face. “I’m going to ask Lena to marry me. She’s the one.”

“Okay,” Alex started cautiously, “not to rain on your parade or anything…but a month ago you were set to marry Mike. And before that you almost married James. And before him…”

“Alex, everyone has been telling me that the right person was out there for me.” Kara got to her feet and started pacing the room, too keyed up to sit. “Everyone told me that I’d know, that I’d feel it when it was right. They said everything would just fall into place. And I thought they were all crazy.” She shrugged. “I thought I knew what love was. But I just kissed Lena, and I watched her stand up for my favourite dog and…I know. Everything that I felt, everything that I’m feeling…this is real. This is _it_. I’m ready. Lena’s the one. She’s the one Alex!”

“I feel like I missed several steps right there,” Alex muttered, but Kara wasn’t paying attention.

“I need a ring,” Kara said as she paced. “And I need to figure out how to propose. Should I rehearse it? Or keep it natural?”

“What,” Alex said sarcastically, “you magically know when you’re ready to marry someone but that same all powerful knowing doesn’t tell you what to say when you propose?”

But Kara ignored her once again, simply grinning at her sister. “Alex, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. For the first time in my life I’m certain! Admit it…was I ever smiling before when I announced my engagements?”

And Alex had to admit her sister had a point there. Kara’s reactions to her trio of engagements had ranged from wide eyed shock to a look of horror to tears that definitely weren’t happy ones. She had never even cracked a simple smile let alone been the ball of manic happiness she was right then. Alex didn’t feel like she had any hope of fighting Kara on it.

“Okay. Cool.” Alex stood from the couch, pulling her sister into a hug. “I’m happy for you, sis. Do you need any help picking out the ring?”

\---

It had been a hellish day at work for Lena. There were deadlines to be met, and with the holidays coming up everyone wanted something done sooner to avoid vacation times. Another lowly, potentially inbred male was trying to take credit for her ideas, and someone had taken a bite out of the sub sandwich she had left in the fridge. But worst of all, she hadn’t heard from Kara since their kiss, and it made Lena sick to her stomach.

Lena had never experienced anything quite like the rush of emotion she had felt when Kara kissed her, and she had been certain that Kara felt the same. They fit together like two puzzle pieces, and they had chemistry to spare. Lena wasn’t sure if she believed in love at first sight, but Kara fit into her life so perfectly and so seamlessly she was beginning to question. Lena had driven home from the shelter feeling giddy, and had even put a Christmas playlist on her phone to listen to. She had texted Kara a few times, but there were no responses. Lena wondered if Kara regretted the kiss. The thought made her want to cry.

Lena turned the key in her lock and pushed the door to her apartment open with her shoulder. She sighed heavily. A glass of whiskey and a pity party seemed in order. She dropped her bag to the floor and kicked off her shoes unceremoniously. Then Lena froze.

There was a Christmas tree in her apartment.

It was in the centre of the massive open concept space, and it was admittedly beautiful. The tree was decked out in red and gold, and the lights sparkled impressively. Lena didn’t know why exactly it was there, but she had to admit it was beyond gorgeous.

Lena tentatively walked closer to the tree, taking in all the detail. Then she peered around it.

Kara Danvers was there, holding a large square wrapped in green and red paper, looking vaguely nervous. Lena regarded her questioningly.

“Kara? What’s going on?”

“I know Alex and I are only supposed to start the reno in the new year, but I hope you don’t mind me using your key a bit prematurely.”

“Of course not,” Lena said automatically. “But I’m a bit confused…I hadn’t heard from you since…well, you know. I thought you regretted it.”

Kara shook her head quickly. “Not at all. Just the opposite, in fact.” Kara sounded earnest and sincere, and Lena smiled, relieved. “But I figured you could use some Christmas spirit around here. And I also brought you an early gift.”

Lena crossed the room finally. She kissed Kara on the cheek, grinning when Kara blushed and looked down bashfully. “Am I supposed to open this now or wait until Christmas?”

“Now please,” Kara said.

Lena sat down on her couch. Kara slid the gift towards her. It was quite large, and was essentially taller than Lena where she sat. She carefully tore at the paper, revealing bit by bit what it was covering. Lena gasped, feeling tears immediately spring to her eyes.

“Do you like it?” Kara asked quietly.

“Kara,” Lena breathed, “it’s…” she couldn’t continue. Lena didn’t think she’d ever received something that touched her more.

It was the picture of Lena and her childhood dog and best friend, Odie. It had been blown up and printed on canvas, and Lena ran her fingers over the picture delicately, tracing every detail. Odie had been so much more than her pet. When Lena lost her birth parents, Odie had been the only one there for her, the only constant. Having to part with Odie when she was adopted had broken her heart. Lena didn’t realize she was crying until Kara sat beside her, reaching out to wipe away Lena’s tears.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Kara said, looking worried.

“It’s good crying.” Lena half laughed and half cried. “It’s good Kara. This is…this is so touching. It’s so special to me, you don’t even know.”

“I do know,” Kara whispered. She tucked a lock of hair that had escaped Lena’s tight bun behind her ear. “I get it, Lena. I would feel the exact same way about my childhood best friend.”

“Thank you Kara.” Lena wanted to kiss Kara, but she wasn’t sure if it was okay. “Thank you so much.”

Kara smiled back at her. “Can I kiss you?” she asked, and Lena laughed again. She smiled and nodded and then they were kissing, and Lena never wanted to stop.

“Kara thank you, honestly. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

Kara shrugged. “You deserve it. I actually, um…there’s something I wanted to say.” Kara was looking nervous again. Lena carefully leaned her picture up against the coffee table and took Kara’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“What is it Kara?” Kara didn’t respond right away. “You can tell me anything, you know that right?”

“Lena,” Kara started, sounding hesitant. “You came into my life at what I thought was my worst time. My third failed attempt at getting married was so humiliating to me. I swore off dating forever.” Kara chuckled. “I thought I would never find the right person. I thought I’d be alone forever. And then you happened. You came into my life with far too much flirting and somehow I’ve never felt happier since.”

“I feel the same way, Kara,” Lena said.

Kara leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “It’s crazy how quickly you became an important part of my life. It’s crazy how much I want to be with you every single day. It’s crazy how quickly I fell for you.” Kara slipped off the couch. She knelt on the floor in front of Lena, on one knee. She reached into her pocket, and Lena gasped. “I know this is crazy. I know we barely know each other, yet I feel like I’ve known you forever. I know we only just met, but Lena I know you’re the one. Everything up until now has been wrong, but you’re right. You’re right for me. I’ve fallen in love with you. And so it might be crazy but…Lena…will you marry me?”

Lena couldn’t say anything at first. She simply stared for a moment, eyes flickering back and forth between Kara and the ring she was holding out. Lena couldn’t say anything for a moment, but Kara never looked worried. She looked confident and sure, and something in Lena’s heart seemed to click into place.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“Yes?” Kara questioned, a brilliant smile starting to take shape.

“Yes!” Lena cried, laughing. “Yes Kara Danvers, I’ll marry you! Of course! Yes, yes, a thousand times!”

And then Kara was slipping the ring onto her finger and they were embracing and crying and kissing and laughing. Lena had never felt quite so happy before in her entire life. She was going to marry Kara Danvers, and nothing had ever felt more perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! Yay! Find me on tumblr at not-happening-but-it-is where I never promote anything and convince me to interact with real people for once. Unless you're a bot. Meh, as long as the bots leave kudos I don't care! thanks for reading folks!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild Angst. Christmas Surprises. Happy Endings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go....

Jack gaped at the sparkling ring on Lena’s finger. His mouth opened and closed with no sound emerging, much like a fish out of water. “Well, I…I guess you shouldn’t have called off the bet, huh?”

“Jack!” Sam smacked him on the back of the head.

“Ow!” he complained. “What was that for?”

“You’re such a guy,” Sam rolled her eyes. “You don’t say that. Lena, ignore the oaf. I, for one, am ecstatic for you! I knew Kara was different ever since that night we went to the concert together. I knew the two of you had something special together.”

“Thank you, Sam,” Lena smiled.

Lena was sitting at a restaurant with her three friends. It had been four days since she had accepted Kara’s proposal, and it was one of the hardest secrets to keep. They had just told Eliza the day before, so finally Lena was able to divulge her announcement to her friends. Eliza had been over the moon, already asking questions about dresses and venues and dates. Lena had thought she’d be a bit more questioning, but Eliza claimed, much like Sam, that she had a feeling about Kara and Lena.

“Despite the violence at this table, I too am happy for you,” Jack said. He raised his fist for a fist bump. “Congrats, Luthor.”

Lena giggled and touched her own fist to his. Only Jess was silent, worrying her bottom lip slightly.

“Are you sure about this Lena?” she asked. “I don’t want to rain on your parade, but a month ago you were telling us you had no interest at all in marriage. I’m happy for you, I truly am. But I’m also just confused, I guess.”

Lena shrugged. “It surprised me as much as it surprised you. But the second Kara asked me, I just knew. It just felt like everything clicked into place perfectly. This is…” Lena couldn’t come up with an appropriate superlative. “This is everything I never knew I wanted. I fell in love with Kara quickly, but also easily. It’s perfect. We just…fit together. I didn’t expect this to happen, but it’s truly the best thing. I’m so happy!”

“Well then,” Jess smiled, “I’m happy for you. For real. Congratulations, Lena!”

The four of them chatted for a bit, grilling Lena for details. Jess and Sam both ooh-ed and ah-ed over how cute Kara’s gift had been. They asked to repeat exactly what Kara said and gushed about how adorable her speech was. Jack rolled his eyes and pretended he was disaffected by everything, but the grin he was sporting gave him away. He sat with his arm around Lena’s shoulders and continually pulled her in for quick hugs. Lena was so happy her friends were supportive. Not that she would have changed her mind- nothing could change Lena’s mind about Kara- but it meant the world to her that they were happy for them.

“So now to the real question,” Jack said eventually. “Which one of us gets to be best man?”

Lena laughed. “Obviously, Jack, you get to be my maid of honour.”

The girls laughed while Jack protested humorously, and everything in Lena’s world continued to feel perfect.

\---

Kara was whistling as she approached the door to Mike’s garage, and she forced herself to stop. She couldn’t be so happy while she was on her way to break his heart and dash his any last hopes for the final time. But it was difficult for Kara to contain her joy.

Kara had spent the days since proposing to Lena in a state of pure ecstasy. Kara couldn’t believe that Lena said yes, but she was overjoyed that she did. Eliza was happier than Kara ever imagined, and even Alex didn’t really have anything negative to say. As crazy as it was, everyone seemed to agree that the two of them were a great match. Kara felt like she was floating on air, and it was difficult to school her expression into something more neutral as she entered the garage in search of Mike.

She found him in the office, and when he looked up and saw her standing there with an apologetic expression and a small jewellery box in her hand, he didn’t look surprised. He looked sad, but not surprised.

“Kara,” he said weakly. “Good to see you.”

“You too, Mike.” She swallowed, feeling awkward. “I just came to, well, give the ring back.” She set it on his slightly grimy desk, sliding it across. His eyes looked downcast.

“So this is it, huh? For real this time.”

Kara nodded. “It was for real last time too, Mike. I can’t marry you. I shouldn’t have said yes in the first place.”

“You don’t seem upset,” Mike said. He looked like a lost little kid. “Is it because of the happy news?”

Kara froze. “How did you hear about that?”

Mike shrugged, looking miserable. “Who cares? It doesn’t matter. Congratulations, I guess.” Kara didn’t know how to respond to that, but Mike pressed on. “Happened pretty quick, didn’t it? Doesn’t seem like enough time to know all of someone’s secrets.”

“Lena doesn’t have any secrets, Mike,” Kara said firmly. His eyebrows raised.

“You sure about that?” Mike asked. Kara just scowled at him. “Okay then. Guess you know everything and you’re okay with being the subject of a bet then.”

“What?” Kara couldn’t hide her expression of shock. “What are you talking about?”

“She bet on you, Kara,” Mike spat. “Some stupid bet she made with a guy, that you would accept her marriage proposal. Guess she gets some bonus points too…she got you to propose to her.”

Kara was shocked. It couldn’t be true. Lena would never. “You’re lying, Mike.”

“Why the hell would I lie?” he asked, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

“To try and win me back. Or to hurt me just like I hurt you.” Kara’s words were quick and sure, but even as she spoke them the tiniest bit of doubt was creeping in. Lena would never…or would she? How well did she really know Lena Luthor? They hadn’t even known each other for a month, after all. But at the same time, this was coming from Mike. Mike was upset and broken hearted, and probably feeling jealous of Lena.

“Just ask her then,” Mike urged. “You don’t have to believe me, but go and ask her.” He was smug then, almost sneering at Kara.

“I don’t have to ask Lena. I know her, Mike, and she would never do that.” Kara tried hard to drown out the questioning voice in the back of her mind. “And no matter what, I’m not coming back to you. Goodbye, Mike.”

Kara practically ran from the garage. She had to get out of there before the tears started, before Mike could see how much his words got to her. He had to be lying. Kara was sure he was lying. But what if he wasn’t? What if Mike was telling the truth and Kara was just the subject of some meaningless bet between friends? It would break her apart, Kara knew that. It would absolutely break her. But Kara knew Lena would never.

Would she?

\---

Lena’s arms were almost too full to open the door to her apartment. She was carrying a few bags of much needed groceries, as well as some binders and pamphlets and fabric samples. Lena wondered if Kara would agree to the two of them hiring a wedding planner. Finally Lena was inside and managed to make it to the island, dumping all of her things on top of the stone countertop. Then she hurriedly started trying to tidy up the mess and put everything away. Lena had gotten held up at work, and Kara was due over any minute.

Lena had just finished putting her yogurt in the fridge when a timid knock sounded on the door. She grinned. She had told Kara multiple times that she could just let herself into Lena’s apartment, but Kara never did. She never did except for that one time, and what an amazing surprise that had been.

“Hello, my beautiful bride to be,” Lena said happily as she opened the door. She went to kiss Kara in greeting, but was surprised when her fiancé turned her head and her lips landed on Kara’s cheek instead of her lips.

“Hey,” Kara said. She sounded subdued, and Lena immediately began to worry. Something was wrong, she could tell. Lena watched as Kara shuffled through the doorway and sat on one of the stools at Lena’s island.

“Is there…” Lena hesitated. “Is there something going on, Kara?” Lena took the stool beside Kara, trying to catch her eye. But Kara wouldn’t meet her gaze. “What’s wrong, darling?”

Kara sighed, still not looking at Lena. “Why did you talk to me that first night? At the art gallery. Why did you approach me to talk?”

“You looked gorgeous,” Lena said. “I just thought you were absolutely beautiful and I wanted to shoot my shot.”

“So it didn’t…” Kara paused. Finally she looked at Lena dead on. “It didn’t have anything to do with a bet, then?”

Lena froze. How had Kara found out about that? Had someone told her? But who would know? Jack, Sam, and Jess all knew how Lena felt. They all knew why she ended up calling off the bet. They wouldn’t have then gone to Kara to try and sabotage her. But who else knew? Lena’s heart was pounding.

“What are you talking about?” Lena tried.

“Please, just be honest with me.” Kara’s voice was firm, but Lena could hear a pleading note under the surface. “Please Lena. You know my…my track record with these things. Please just tell me.”

Lena swallowed hard. “There was a bet,” she said quietly, almost whispering. “It was a stupid bet made during a night of drinking.”

“So I’m just part of a bet then, am I?” Lena saw the tears and the hurt in Kara’s eyes, and it squeezed at her heart. “None of this is real. You just accepted my proposal to win a bet.”

“No, no Kara that’s not how things happened!” Lena cried. Kara had gotten to her feet, arms cross tight in front of her as she paced the floor. “Kara I called off the bet before things really even started changing between us.” Lena stood and made her way to Kara, trying to take her hands. Kara shook her off. “I called off the bet when I realized how incredible you were. I knew I couldn’t do that to you. And I knew I was already falling for you. I didn’t want that to be tainted by anything else. My feelings were real, they _are_ real, so I called off the bet.”

Tears were falling fast and furious from Kara’s eyes. She looked so small and broken. Her arms were wrapped around herself as if she were trying to hold herself together. Lena looked at Kara and her heart seemed to shatter. She hated herself for making Kara look that upset and unsure.

“Kara, I called off the bet,” she choked out, feeling tears start to burn her own eyes. “Please believe me. What I did was wrong, and I should have come clean to you immediately. I am so sorry. There are no excuses. But Kara I love you. Nothing changes that…that’s real!”

Kara was shaking her head. “Don’t say that to me,” she sobbed.

“Kara I’m not lying. I never faked anything with you. My feelings for you are true, real, and honest. I love…”

“Don’t!” Kara shouted. Her tears glistened on her cheeks. She looked suddenly angry. “Don’t say that.”

“Kara…”

“No.” Kara strode past Lena, heading to the door. “I’m done. This is over, Lena. You used me. And you knew…I told you everything! You knew how this would break me and still went through with it.”

“But Kara, I _didn’t_ go through with it!”

“Lena, leave me alone.” Kara wrenched the door open. “If you really feel like you say you do then just leave me alone. Because I can’t have you break my heart again.”

And then Kara was gone. The door slammed and Lena heard her sobs fade away down the hallway. Lena’s own tears started in earnest then. Her heart ached. It felt like it would never mend. And as she felt that, she wondered how Kara’s must have felt. What Lena did- lying to her like that- it was unforgiveable, wasn’t it? Lena’s legs buckled, and she slid down to the floor in a heap. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried so hard. The sobs were wracking her frame. She loved Kara, and Kara was gone. And the worst part was, Lena had no one to blame but herself.

\---

Alex heard the too loud Christmas music blaring before she even got off the elevator. The doors slid apart to reveal a group of rowdy, most likely drunk office workers enjoying their holiday party. Alex scanned the room, looking for one face in particular. A familiar face did catch her eye, but it wasn’t the one she was expecting to see. Squaring her shoulders, Alex walked through the crowd to find the person. She tapped them on the shoulder.

“Alex!” Sam’s eyes widened as she turned to see Alex standing there. Sam was wearing an askew Santa hat, and a tipsy sort of smile graced her lips. “It’s good to see you again!”

Alex didn’t bother with the pleasantries, no matter how endearing Sam’s smile was. “Where’s Lena?” she shouted above the music.

“Oh.” Sam’s grin faded. The man she had been dancing with had also looked up at Lena’s name, grimacing. “Alex…she feels terrible. I’ve never seen her like this.”

“Where’s Lena?” Alex repeated firmly.

“If you’re wanting to beat her up,” the man with the beard cut in, “then you should know that I was the idiot who made the bet and also took two years of karate.” He hiccupped, slightly ruining his tough guy façade.

“There will be no beating anyone up,” Alex promised, though she did wonder. If push came to shove, she would do anything to protect her sister. “I just want to talk to her. Where is she?”

“In her office,” Sam said, pointing over Alex’s shoulder. “She hasn’t come out all night.”

“She did once,” the other guy said. “She grabbed a bottle of whiskey and then went straight back inside.”

Sam looked sad. “I know that she really messed up, but please don’t be too hard on her, Alex.”

Alex didn’t say anything. She simply turned on her heel and walked determinedly to the office that Sam had pointed out. Alex didn’t even knock. Instead she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open, ready to give Lena a piece of her mind. But Alex took a step into the office, first words already almost out of her mouth, and then paused.

“Are you having fun while Kara is…oh.” Alex had never seen Lena Luthor looking anything but extremely put together. That night, however, Lena looked anything but. She was slumped in front of her computer, half empty bottle of whiskey beside her. Hair was escaping from her bun and she looked pretty much the same as Kara had the past couple of days. Sighing, Alex took a seat in the chair on the other side of Lena’s desk.

“If you’re here to tell me how much I screwed up and hurt your sister,” Lena said in a hoarse voice, “then you really don’t have to. I’m aware of how much wrong I did. I know how much I hurt her. I’ll stay away.”

Alex regarded the pitiful looking woman in front of her. “I just have one question for you, Luthor,” Alex said. Lena flinched at her flinty tone. “Do you love my sister?”

Lena blinked, clearly not expecting that particular question. “Yes,” she said without hesitation. “It was fast and completely unexpected, but also perfect. I love Kara.”

“Then why are you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself instead of trying to win her back?”

Lena rubbed her temples. “I think I may have had a bit too much whiskey for this conversation. Should you not be trying to murder me with your bare hands?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Look Luthor, I came here with every intention to ream you out for what you did to my sister. What you did was shitty, and I think you know that.” Lena nodded along with Alex’s words miserably. “But I walked in here to see you looking just as miserable as Kara’s looked. You clearly feel just as awful as she does. Whatever weird, rom-com worthy love story you guys have going on confuses the hell out of me, not gonna lie. But I don’t need to understand it, only you two do. And the two of you are clearly miserable apart from one another.”

“But Kara hates me Alex,” Lena said. “And she should hate me. What I did…”

“She doesn’t hate you, Luthor. That’s why she’s so upset.” Lena looked confused still, and Alex sighed. “Look kid, I’ve seen my sister after three failed attempts at marriage go through the motions of what everyone thinks a breakup should be like. She moped and ate comfort food, but not once did she ever even really cry. Kara’s never reacted quite like this. She’s never shed a tear let alone been desolately miserable for days on end. Kara’s never been in love until you Lena. So she doesn’t hate you. If she did, she’d be able to move on.”

Alex could see that Lena still looked uncertain. So she decided to try a different tactic. “Did you call off the bet before Kara proposed?”

Lena nodded vehemently. “I called off the bet the day after the concert. As soon as I started realizing that I had actual feelings for her, I called things off.”

“And do you regret making the bet in the first place?”

“Immensely,” Lena said. “I’ve never regretted anything more in my life.”

“Do you still want to marry my sister?”

Lena looked up at Alex with watery eyes and a shaky grin. “I do. More than anything. I want to spend the rest of my life with Kara.”

“Then what the hell are you waiting for? Get out there and get her back!”

Lena bit her bottom lip, looking unsure. “How do I do that? Alex she said she never wanted to see me again.”

“I can’t tell you exactly what you should do,” Alex shrugged. “But honestly I think you probably already know. You have to show her that you’re serious Lena. You have to show her that you really love her, and that you’re committed to her. Don’t let her run away again. She’s really good at running away, but you have to show her that she finally has something…someone…to run to.”

Lena nodded in agreement, and Alex saw that there was something like determination blazing in her eyes. Alex grinned. Lena would figure things out, she was pretty sure of it. Without anything further, Alex got up and left Lena to her brainstorming. With any luck Alex would find Sam again in the crowd, and maybe she could take advantage of some free drinks and be able to dance with a pretty woman.

\---

Kara couldn’t help but giggle as the whiskers of the tiny kitten she was cuddling tickled her nose. Knowing that she had other animals to tend to, Kara gently placed the tiniest, newest addition to the shelter down into a pen. Kara didn’t figure the kitten would be at the shelter long. She was so tiny and lovable Kara had a feeling she’d be adopted within a few days at most.

The shelter was quieter than normal. There had been a lot of people who had come through to adopt animals as Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Kara had watched Jersey get adopted just two days earlier, and it warmed her heart to see the giant Mastiff have his neck scratched by an excited twelve year old boy. Both the boy and the dog were sporting wide grins, and Kara knew just by looking at the scene that Jersey had found his forever home.

There was something comforting about being at the shelter on Christmas Eve. Kara hadn’t done much of late except for try in vain to mend her broken heart. Alex had been out of their condo more than usual recently, and Kara figured she was trying to avoid her moping. So Kara had taken to going ‘round Eliza’s looking for cookies and sympathy. Eliza provided both in spades, but nothing seemed to heal her heart. Kara couldn’t stop thinking about Lena. At first her thoughts had been tinted with anger, but now she knew she just missed the other woman. Her heart ached whenever she thought of her. Eliza was happy to hold Kara, and stroke her hair, but nothing filled what seemed like a massive hole in her heart. Of course, this particular morning both Alex and Eliza were missing. So Kara had decided to put in one last day in at the shelter before Christmas.

“Okay Luna, are you ready for your Christmas Eve feast?”

Kara spent about five minutes with Luna, playing with the adorable Jack Russell before moving on. She made her way down the row, saving her favourite for last.

“Rise and shine Bentley! It’s time for…” Kara stopped short. Bentley’s cage was empty.

“He was adopted yesterday.” Kara turned to see Nia standing behind her, looking knowingly at Kara.

“Oh that’s…that’s great!” Kara tried to be cheery. “Did it seem like a good fit?”

Nia nodded, and her smile seemed a bit too bright considering the sadness Kara was feeling. “I think it will be perfect. No…I _know_ it will. Our Bentley has finally found his forever home!”

Kara grinned, but it felt hollow. She allowed herself to sigh and lean against the chain link caging once Nia had wandered off. The last time Bentley had been adopted, Lena had been there to comfort her. And when Bentley had been returned and Lena had defended him that was when Kara had known that she was in love with Lena Luthor. That had been the first time they kissed. Kara thought maybe she just should have adopted Bentley when she had the chance. Now he was gone, and so was Lena, and Kara just felt utterly alone.

\---

“I don’t see why mom wanted us to wear dresses this year,” Kara grumbled as she stepped out of Alex’s car.

“She already explained!” Alex laughed. “You know she wants a new family photo.”

“But it’s Christmas morning!” Kara exclaimed. “You’re supposed to wear red and green pajamas as you open your presents. And Santa hats too! Wearing a dress just doesn’t feel like Christmas morning.”

Alex shrugged, opening the front door to Eliza’s house. “We both know you brought your jammies to change into once the picture is over with. Stop complaining, weirdo.”

Kara pouted, but followed Alex inside, shrugging off her jacket and fidgeting in her formal red dress. Truthfully, it just didn’t feel like Christmas that morning. Even walking into Eliza’s house and seeing all the wonderful decorations didn’t fill Kara with the cheer that it usually did. She hugged her mom and tried to put on a bright smile. But it didn’t feel quite right still. Christmas wasn’t supposed to be sad. Kara didn’t even get excited when she saw the pile of presents underneath the Christmas tree like she usually did.

Kara walked over to the tree and placed her few presents underneath. She heard the music that Eliza had playing and tried to get herself singing along with the holiday tunes. She gratefully accepted the mug of hot chocolate Eliza handed her, and she tried to look as excited and energetic as she could. But something was off, and Kara knew it.

“Oh shoot, I almost forgot!” Eliza exclaimed. “Alex, I have one last present upstairs I need your help with.” Alex stood from the couch and followed her mom to the stairs with the tinsel wrapped bannister. “And no sneaking any cookies, Kara!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kara muttered. She waited until they were both out of sight before springing towards the kitchen. Eliza would never notice just two or three or ten missing. Kara could control herself. Besides, she was eating away her grief. She went straight for the cookie tins before pausing. She turned, surprised to see someone else in the kitchen. “Pastor Grant?” Kara was confused. “What are you doing here?”

The woman smiled. “Your mother invited me to spend the morning with you all. She thought it might be fun.”

But Kara noticed the pastor didn’t exactly look dressed down for a morning of Christmas merriment. She looked official. Kara was about to question it further when Eliza called her from the living room.

“Kara! Get in here! It’s time for your first present!”

Kara was slightly distracted as she made her way out of the kitchen. She realized she forgot to even grab a cookie to munch at and huffed. Giving herself a pep talk that at least it was time to start opening presents, Kara went back into the living room. She took no more than a few steps into the room when she stopped in her tracks.

 _Lena_.

Lena was there, in an elegant emerald dress, looking nervous but beautiful all the same. She was standing in front of the Christmas tree with Alex and Eliza. Except there was something else, too, in front of the tree. It was white painted wood with garland and lights and the whole scene looked vaguely suspicious, especially when the pastor came to stand with Lena.

“Um…what’s happening?” Kara asked weakly.

“A Christmas wedding, I hope,” Lena replied. She smiled at Kara, but there was a definite note of tension coming from her as well. “Kara, I need to apologize once more. I am so sorry for ever breaking your trust, and for ever making you think for even one second that what we have isn’t real.”

“Lena, it’s okay…”

“It’s not,” Lena interrupted, shaking her head. “It’s really not. But the thing is, Kara, I’m a mess without you. And I hear you’re about the same without me. By some wonderful twist of fate we’ve found each other, and I will apologize a thousand times for hurting you. But I’ll never apologize for talking to you that first night. Because we came together, and we seem to make each other better. Make each other stronger. It’s crazy; downright insane. We’ve only known each other for weeks, but I’ve never felt so certain about anything in my life. Kara, I love you.”

A rush of emotions filled Kara, and she didn’t want to cry but everything was suddenly overwhelming. Overwhelming in a good way, but still overwhelming. A piece of her that seemed to be missing since she ran from Lena clicked back into place.

“I love you too,” Kara whispered.

“Kara, will you still marry me?” Lena asked. She held the ring Kara had proposed with up with a slightly shaky hand. Kara stepped closer. She took the ring and gently slipped it back on Lena’s finger.

“Yes, I’ll still marry you,” Kara breathed. She wrapped her arms around Lena, and the dark haired woman nearly collapsed into the embrace. The pieces of Kara’s heart stitched themselves back together. “I still want you, Lena.”

“She said yes!” Alex exclaimed with delight and the next thing Kara knew there was clapping and whoops of joy and several more people were entering the living room. J’onn, Clark, Nia, and Lucy walked in, beaming, followed by Sam, and the receptionist Jess, and a bearded man who was smiling at Lena like a sibling.

“What’s going on?” Kara asked, half laughing, half crying happily.

“Like I said,” Lena smiled, “I’m hoping it’s a Christmas wedding. I wanted you to know how serious I am and also…I feel like we’re kind of most definitely terrible at doing things traditionally anyway.”

“That’s true,” Kara giggled. She looked over Lena’s shoulder where her mom and sister were standing. “You two were in on this?”

Alex nodded. Eliza smiled. “For the first time, I know you’re ready for this Kara,” Eliza said. “What’s the point in waiting?”

“There’s one more thing I’d like to show you,” Lena said. She took a step back, put two fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. “Come here, buddy!”

A flurry of paws and nails clicked across the hardwood floor, and Kara turned in time to see Bentley charging over to Lena. He leapt up and licked at her happily. It took Bentley a moment to see Kara standing there, but when he did was leaping up at Kara as well. She bent down to pet him, laughing gleefully.

“Bentley! You’re here!” Kara scratched the fur under the red bandana with little gingerbread printed on it that Bentley had tied around his neck. She looked up at Lena. “You did this? You adopted Bentley?”

Lena nodded. “I did. I spent all day yesterday getting him to come when I whistled. We have to work on the jumping thing, though, Bentley.” Kara laughed as Lena spoke to Bentley as if he were a person. “It’s a big commitment, adopting a dog. It’s also a lot of work. I’d love a partner in crime.”

“Of course!” Kara stood. She cupped Lena’s jaw, pulling her in for a kiss. A cough interrupted them before their lips could touch.

“You guys are supposed to wait until the pastor says you may now kiss the bride, you know.” Alex was smirking as she spoke.

“That is a good point.” Lena leaned down and untied a tiny package Kara hadn’t noticed from Bentley’s bandana. When she stood Kara saw two golden wedding bands in the palm of her hand. “It was hard to find a ring bearer on such short notice,” she chuckled. “What do you say? Is this too quick or too much?”

Kara shook her head. “This is perfect. Mom, will you help me get ready?”

Up in her childhood bedroom Eliza helped Kara with the veil that had been stashed in the room in secret. She then handed Kara a small but pretty bouquet of flowers. Kara felt giddy, and she couldn’t contain her peals of laughter.

“You guys really thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“It was all Lena,” Eliza smiled. “She planned this whole thing, every detail. Although, it was me who suggested not doing the traditional white wedding dresses. I know how much you love red and green on Christmas.”

“I do!” Kara squealed. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

Eliza smiled. Then she turned a little more serious. She looked at Kara directly. “Are you ready? Are you ready to get married?”

“I’ve never been more ready,” Kara said without hesitation.

Eliza began to cry. She was smiling proudly at Kara, but there were still tears running down her cheeks. Kara pulled her mom into a tight hug.

“I’m so happy for you, baby,” Eliza whispered. Kara felt happy tears spring into her own eyes too.

Kara managed to not trip down the stairs, but it was a close thing. Her legs felt weak with excitement. She hadn’t been planning on getting married on Christmas morning, but now that it was actually happening Kara was quivering in anticipation. She finally reached the bottom of the staircase without incident. She looped her arm through Eliza’s and the pair stepped fully into the living room.

It was nothing like what Kara thought her wedding day would look like, but it was more perfect than she ever imagined her wedding could be. Their friends and family were standing on either side of the room, creating a tiny aisle down the centre. And there at the front was Lena, absolutely beaming. Bentley sat tall at her feet, looking perfectly content and happy. This was her family, Kara realized. Lena and Bentley, Bentley and Lena.

When Kara reached Lena at the front of the room, she barely heard a word that Pastor Grant spoke. But she said her ‘I do’s’ and Lena did the same and there were rings exchanged and then they were sharing their first kiss as a married couple. Lena’s lips were against hers, and Kara’s hands were gently grasping Lena’s cheeks, and Bentley was turning in circles and jumping excitedly up and down at their knees.

“I love you, Mrs Danvers,” Lena said when they finally broke apart. “I love you so much.”

Kara couldn’t help stealing another kiss, maybe one that was slightly too risqué for a wedding, no matter how untraditional. She ignored the catcalling and whistling in favour of kissing her wife. Just thinking of Lena as her wife filled Kara with warmth.

“I love you too.” A bark sounded, and Kara and Lena both looked down to see Bentley looking up at them with a playful look, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. “Of course I love you too Bentley!” Kara exclaimed.

They found themselves on the couch some time later, after the pictures were taken and some of the boisterous excitement had died down. Both Kara and Lena changed into festive pajamas and they cuddled into one another on the couch with Bentley curled up in between them. Lena was lazily stroking his fur, and Bentley was peacefully snoozing. Eliza started handing out gifts, but Kara was almost fully distracted by the wedding band on her finger. She couldn’t stop gazing at it. It was perfect. She turned to Lena, capturing her wife’s lips in a kiss.

“Merry Christmas Lena,” she said. Lena grinned. They kissed again.

“Merry Christmas Kara.”

Between them, Bentley let out a sleepy yip. Kara and Lena both laughed.

“We didn’t forget about you, pup,” Lena grinned. “Merry Christmas Bentley.”

It was perfect. Kara had her wife and her favourite pal with her on Christmas. Her sister and mom were there with them, as were all their closest friends. It was everything Kara needed, and it was absolutely perfect. Kara pressed a kiss to Lena’s cheek, unable to stop smiling.

It was a picture perfect Christmas, and Kara wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. A finished story from me! Weird.
> 
> But in all seriousness; if you accompanied me on this Hallmark worthy journey and supported this fic, you are amazing and I can't thank you enough. I appreciate it. Genuinely.
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy over the holidays and into the New Year. Thank you again for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Mustering up the courage to write again has been difficult, so trust me when I say every single person who reads this is much appreciated and you're my new favourite people! Until next time...


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